Transition from Trauma to Triumph in the Black Experience

These seven works of art convey the theme of past and present through the Black experience. The color choices portray the trauma and triumphs of Black ancestors. Five of these works feature a lack of color in their focal points that is reflective of the melancholy feeling of the time period the pieces depict. Some of these works are made of or contain photographs that give the viewer a more blunt image of the Black pain, while the others provide a more abstract view. For instance, one of these pieces is a photograph that depicts the eeriness of a southern plantation while another is an abstract painting that alludes to the hanging of Black people. In comparison, two of these works illustrate Black Americans in a more carefree state through the use of vibrant colors. The artists knowingly implemented specific color variations to allow viewers to associate them with particular sentiments. In his Birmingham Project pieces, Dawoud Bey uses black and white photography to capture the tragedy of the Birmingham Church Bombing, while in Brownstones by Jacob Lawrence, vivid colors are used to show a worry free Harlem. All of these pieces combined contain distinct color choices that portray the transformation within Black American society.