The Harlem Renaissance helped shape not only black culture, but infiltrated and influenced the art, literature, and music of all early twentieth century America. This influence over the arts helped give the new emerging black culture a face, an identity. With ‘new negro’ idealism now made tangible, African-Americans were more an enabled to state a claim as being part of this young, thriving, early twentieth century America. No longer could African-Americans be over looked. This black culture had something; soul and pride. This sparked the interest not only of white America, but it seemed to hold the attention of the entire world.
The Harlem Renaissance became famous for many reasons. It was new, it was original and it was in your face. This period grabbed my attention when I first saw the much praised art of it’s time. The very one dimensional images and the bright colors bare uncanny similarities to the byzantine art from western europe not only in appearance, but also in meaning. The art that was prevalent in early 1900s America was realism paintings, however black art at this time rarely touched realism. What was it about this new emerging art style that grabbed the hungry eyes of blacks and whites alike? African-American artists during this time got rid of depth, dimension and realism and replaced it with soul, meaning and ideals. This new style of art told a story. The subjects painted were not portrayed as realistic figures, as in the past, but rather as symbols. This loss of humanity in these paintings was able to gain a voice for African-American idealism. These symbol like personas were as important to this time period, as Da Vinci was to the Sistine Chapel.
Though much ground was gained during the Harlem Renaissance, it came at a price. It seemed that participants in this black revival were divided on every issue. These participants were primarily writers, musicians and artists. There disagreements were very based on the way this new ‘black art’ expressed itself. Many believed that this new art should be used to appease whites. Others did the exact opposite and flaunted black pride for the sake of only agitation. Another problem facing this new pop culture was falling into a stereotype. Black clubs were perhaps too often inviting to whites as some sort of show not as the massive cultural movement and revival that was happening with the hearts of blacks all over. Lastly, another major controversy was the question if black art was being used too much as propaganda and had totally lost the identity of being art at all. These questions for this very young movement were no more out of line than the questioning of a child passionate about living and figuring out how to do so.
