Started researching for this post after noticing how little I actually knew about Black artists beyond like, two famous names. Wanted real stories, not just boring textbook facts. Dug into museum archives, Youtube docs, and even old interview clips – basically went down a massive internet rabbit hole.
The Hunt for Good Stuff
First, tried finding artists everyone should know, not just the super obvious ones. Kept running into the same five painters over and over online. Ugh. Pushed harder and finally found gold – artists like Aaron Douglas with those incredible Harlem Renaissance murals full of sharp angles and jazz vibes. Felt like uncovering hidden treasure.
Wanted visuals, obviously. Needed pictures people could actually see right there in the post. Spent forever scouring museum collections online. High-res images or bust. Got super annoyed when a killer piece by Faith Ringgold only had this tiny, blurry thumbnail. Seriously? Kept clicking until I found sites that didn’t require selling a kidney for decent quality.
Weaving the Stories
Knew just listing facts would put people to sleep. Had to find the why. Like, why was Horace Pippin painting those powerful war scenes? Oh – because he got shot in the shoulder during WWI and used art to deal with the pain and memories. That hit different. His story stuck with me. Same with Archibald Motley deciding to paint vibrant Black city life during a time everyone else ignored it. Highlighted those human moments hard.
- Jacob Lawrence – How he told giant historical struggles through series like “The Migration.” Learned he used tempera paint because… it was cheap. Real.
- Jean-Michel Basquiat – Went past the graffiti hype. His symbols? Dense references to Black history and power plays. Got lost for hours in his chaotic genius.
Wrapping It Up
Organizing this mess was tricky. Tried grouping by style first, but it felt forced. Scrapped that. Just went chronological with context – who inspired who? Who broke the mold? Made a rough timeline on my desk with sticky notes. Looked chaotic, but somehow worked.
Writing the actual post? Aimed for short bites. Kept sentences tight. Dumped fancy words – nobody needs “oeuvre” or “chiaroscuro” here. Focused on feelings and struggle and impact. If I got chills researching their backstory, it went in. Double-checked spellings of names and titles – respect matters. Hit publish after testing the layout on my phone. Images had to pop instantly.
Ended with way more respect for how these artists pushed through insane barriers just to create. Not some dusty history lesson. It felt like meeting real people. Heavy stuff, honestly.
