Jacob Lawrence- Harlem Renaissance, Julio R., Dylan S., Keven P.
Biography
Jacob Lawrence was an African American painter who used his environments and experiences of not only him but other African Americans in his community. He has an abstract expressionist art style and he has made it his own.
Birth: September 7, 1917
Death: June 9, 2000
Early Life
Jacob Lawrence was born in Atlantic City, New Jersey in September 7th 1917. When he became the age of two, he then moved to Easton, Pennsylvania. However his parents divorced and was raised in foster care with his siblings. When he turned thirteen he moved to Harlem, New York. While in New York, he was under the mentorship of artist Charles Alston.
Education
Jacob Lawrence took Works Progress Administration (WPA) classes in art in 1934-1937. He studied at Harlem Art Workshop in New York in 1937.
Time at the Military
-Drafted into the United States Coast Guard during World War II
-Briefly stationed in Florida and Massachusetts
-Assigned the role of Coast Guard artist to document the war experience
Early Art
Jacob Lawrence, after graduating from the American Artists School in New York in 1939, and receiving funding from the Works Progress Administration Federal Art Project, he began working on narrative series of paintings which led to the creation of the Migration Series
jacob's Inspiration
-Jacob Lawrence gathered his inspiration from the Harlem community he was raised in
-He drew anything he saw, people, streets, storefronts, ect.
Themes of Art- In Lawrence’s art he shows of a common theme, of social protest in his paintings. An example of this would be in his “ Love and Death” painting.
Impact on African American Community
Lawrence’s impact on the African American community was through his art. His art displayed social realism and could be considered an inspiration for Africans-Americans. As this caused them to realized that the way they were getting treated was unfair and they had to stand up for themselves.
Role in Harlem Renaissance
He saw everything around him to document the people, visual culture, color, and spirit of the community. He went on to show how important the role of the black community was in Harlem.
Most Famous
Jacob Lawrence’s most famous paintings were his Migration Series, made from 1940-1941
