Lendy is on a little trip in Maine, so I asked her to send me art. She sent me some text messages from the museum:
Ashley Bryan. He is heroic. (…) It’s not just the wretched tale of slavery. It is his curiosity and headlong approach to art. He made books, puppets, prints, paintings, collages. HE IS STILL ALIVE. He’s 95.
I looked him up. It appears this wonderful man is very well loved. I found an article in The Take Magazine about Bryan’s children’s book Freedom Over Me, on slavery. A children’s book on slavery. We’ve had several classes on art and activism at the League. Suzanne Walker made the point that it’s complicated to do both art and activism well. This is a socially powerful book, it’s written for children, and it’s artistically beautiful. In The Take Magazine, Bryan talks about this book:
“‘There was an auction about 10 years ago in Northeast Harbor of Civil War paraphernalia and slave-related documents,” he says, “and I bought a document for the purchase of some slaves. They just give you the name and the price.” He pulls the book from the pile on the table and opens it, revealing a detail of the document on the inside cover. “I did a portrait of each,” he says, “and I cut it out and pasted it on the documents. Then I imagined I asked them to tell me their story. After they did, I said to them, ‘If you were not a slave, what would your dream be?’”
I’m sorry to say that further reading reports it’s difficult to find copies of this beautiful book in Maine, because it’s assumed to be written specifically for black children, not all children. Did you hear that thump? That’s the sound of my forehead, hitting the table.
Below: Linocuts, studio space, and puppets made by the marvelous Ashley Bryan. Photo credits: Mount Desert Islander, Maine Boats Homes [gallery ids=”11637,11638,11642,11634,11636,11635,11645″ onclick=”link_no
[image_with_animation image_url=”9941″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Line drawing by William Anastasi A conversation between League friend and painter Fredericka Foster and composer/musician Phillip Glass has recently been published in Nautilus. Foster and Glass are talking about time. Philip Glass: There are many strange things about music and time. When I’m on a tour with the dance …
Last week Nikki Barber and I surprised my drawing classes with an unexpected session of printmaking. After a few weeks of drawing practice, Beginning and Figure Drawing students made monotypes for the first time, and LOVED IT. Yesterday I posted still life monoprints by the beginning drawing students. Today are figurative monoprints by the figure …
In 1960, pioneering American artists Sol LeWitt and Eva Hesse met for the first time and instantly clicked, quickly forming a strong, deep bond that would last for ten years and result in countless inspirational discussions and rich exchanges of ideas. Indeed, they remained incredibly close friends until May of 1970, at which point Hesse, …
V. Notes are daily–ish thoughts and ideas related to art. I might post a series of pictures, a technique, an idea for a project, or some philosophical rambling. I try to make these emails relevant, but they’re not pre-planned, and they’re not perfect. They’re just thoughts in the moment, take ’em or leave ’em. Hopefully they’ll spark some thoughts and help get your artistic …
Ashley Bryan
I looked him up. It appears this wonderful man is very well loved. I found an article in The Take Magazine about Bryan’s children’s book Freedom Over Me, on slavery. A children’s book on slavery. We’ve had several classes on art and activism at the League. Suzanne Walker made the point that it’s complicated to do both art and activism well. This is a socially powerful book, it’s written for children, and it’s artistically beautiful. In The Take Magazine, Bryan talks about this book:
“‘There was an auction about 10 years ago in Northeast Harbor of Civil War paraphernalia and slave-related documents,” he says, “and I bought a document for the purchase of some slaves. They just give you the name and the price.” He pulls the book from the pile on the table and opens it, revealing a detail of the document on the inside cover. “I did a portrait of each,” he says, “and I cut it out and pasted it on the documents. Then I imagined I asked them to tell me their story. After they did, I said to them, ‘If you were not a slave, what would your dream be?’”
I’m sorry to say that further reading reports it’s difficult to find copies of this beautiful book in Maine, because it’s assumed to be written specifically for black children, not all children. Did you hear that thump? That’s the sound of my forehead, hitting the table.
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[image_with_animation image_url=”9941″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Line drawing by William Anastasi A conversation between League friend and painter Fredericka Foster and composer/musician Phillip Glass has recently been published in Nautilus. Foster and Glass are talking about time. Philip Glass: There are many strange things about music and time. When I’m on a tour with the dance …
Figurative Monotypes
Last week Nikki Barber and I surprised my drawing classes with an unexpected session of printmaking. After a few weeks of drawing practice, Beginning and Figure Drawing students made monotypes for the first time, and LOVED IT. Yesterday I posted still life monoprints by the beginning drawing students. Today are figurative monoprints by the figure …
DO
In 1960, pioneering American artists Sol LeWitt and Eva Hesse met for the first time and instantly clicked, quickly forming a strong, deep bond that would last for ten years and result in countless inspirational discussions and rich exchanges of ideas. Indeed, they remained incredibly close friends until May of 1970, at which point Hesse, …
What are V. Notes?
V. Notes are daily–ish thoughts and ideas related to art. I might post a series of pictures, a technique, an idea for a project, or some philosophical rambling. I try to make these emails relevant, but they’re not pre-planned, and they’re not perfect. They’re just thoughts in the moment, take ’em or leave ’em. Hopefully they’ll spark some thoughts and help get your artistic …