12/10/2024
Romare Bearden (1911-1988)
Noah: The Third Day (From Prevalence of Ritual), 1974
Screenprint, Ed. 71/100
Image: 35 7/8 x 29 7/8 in. (91 x 76 cm) Paper: 39 7/8 x 32 in, (101 x 81 cm)
–
While this Romare Bearden in the Bill Hodges collection is not currently on view, if you feel you need to have it or see it, please do not hesitate to come by the gallery and ask one of our assistants to bring it out. We’d be happy to show it to you! Bill Hodges Gallery welcomes you to Norman Lewis Works on Paper, on view 31 October 2024 through 25 January 2025. We are open Tue - Fri 10 - 6 and Sat on appointment, please visit us at 529 West 20th Street, 10E, New York, New York, between 10th ave and 11th ave. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call 212-333-2640, or email [email protected].
–
Romare Bearden (1911–1988), renowned for his intricate collages depicting African American life and heritage, was an artist who continuously evolved his style and techniques throughout his career. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden spent much of his childhood moving between the rural South, Pittsburgh, and Harlem, as part of the Great Migration. This experience profoundly shaped his artistic focus on African American life and community.
Bearden was drafted into the U.S. Army during World War II and served from 1942 until his discharge in 1945. After the war, he toured Europe, where he immersed himself in the artistic traditions of the Old Masters and the works of Modernist pioneers such as Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque. Returning to New York in 1954, he became involved in the civil rights movement, participating in the protests and dialogues that shaped the era. His activism was mirrored in his work, which became a vehicle for addressing systemic racism, cultural heritage, and collective memory.
In 1963, Bearden co-founded the Spiral Group, a collective of Black artists dedicated to exploring the relationship between art and activism. The same year, he returned to collage as his primary medium, inspired by the growing urgency to document and celebrate the Black experience. By cutting and layering photographs, magazine clippings, and painted paper, Bearden constructed vibrant, complex works that bridged abstraction and figuration. His iconic series The Prevalence of Ritual (1964) showcased themes of migration, music, and daily life in African American communities.
Bearden’s contributions to art continued to gain recognition throughout his later years. In 1980, he received the National Medal of Arts from President Ronald Reagan, cementing his legacy as one of the most influential American artists of the 20th century. He passed away in 1988, leaving behind a profound body of work that remains a powerful chronicle of African American history, identity, and creativity.
Bill Hodges Gallery has owned over 65 works by Bearden, and has showcased his work in over 10 exhibitions. In the Spring of 2020, the gallery exhibited Bearden & Company, showcasing the work of Bearden along side Norman Lewis, Charles Alston, Edward Clark, Sam Gilliam, Henry Ossawa Tanner, Adam Pendleton, Roy DeCarava and Al Loving—all whom have contributed artistically and socially to the robust African-American Contemporary art scene we see thriving today.