Pop and Agitprop: The Black Arts Movement (1960s-1970s)
Pop and Agitprop: The Black Arts Movement (1960s-1970s) was a Black artist-led movement rooted in African arts and influenced by civil rights gains activism and the militancy of the Black Power movement. Though mainly a literary group, it extended to the visual arts. Black art museums and Black owned galleries were being founded during this time in part to protest white art institutions’ lack of diversity and representation. Within the movement were Pop Art and Agitprop art styles that were both used to promote political messages. https://www.moma.org/collection/terms/black-arts-movement
- Benny Andrews (1930-2006) Andrews viewed himself as an artist of the people yet viewed art distinct from political activism and of an individual’s aesthetic. He created collage paintings that portrayed places and people with which he was familiar. https://www.bennyandrews.com/artist
Did the Bear Sit Under a Tree, 1969, mixed media https://www.bennyandrews.com/essentialartworks
