Identifier	Thesis 1391
Author	McKinney, Louise C.
Title	Jacob Lawrence : the Migration Series
Publisher	Central Connecticut State University
Date of Publication	1995
Resource Type	Master's Thesis
Abstract	This thesis is concerned with the artist Jacob Lawrence and his work entitled the Migration Series. The Migration Series addresses the complex subject of the Great Migration of African Americans, 1915-1940. In a unique and beautiful abstract patterning style, Jacob Lawrence tells the story of the millions of African Americans who migrated from the rural South to the urban and industrialized North in search of a better life. Through his use of simple shapes and forms painted mostly in primary colors, Lawrence combines many of the elements and principles of design with the goal of eliminating cultural and social boundaries. The social and racial issues of the African-American community are shown in his portrayal of the struggle towards freedom and justice. Also the everyday reality that African Americans face is revealed in the text which accompanies each of the sixty panels of The Migration Series. In Jacob Lawrence's opinion, artists are philosophers, and through the media of choice help to develop further insight into the world and man's role or place in it. This is not necessarily a figurative form of insight but one of color, form, shape and texture. It may also be a more illustrative form of insight - a storytelling kind of insight. As a storyteller and historian of the African-American experience, he combines a sense of epic with an appreciation of the ordinary. In a sense, he appreciates the epic in the ordinary. His art is human and accessible. It values fairness and is funny, colorful, and musical. This thesis contributes to the existing literature concerning the Migration Series by presenting the material from a 1990's perspective. This presentation is particularly relevant due to recent controversy concerning the removal of the word "Negro" from the series title, and the subsequent re-wording of subtitles or text of some panels using "African American" in place of "Negro." The semantics involved in the labeling of ethnic groups along with some of its connotations is discussed in terms of their relationship to each other and their impact on society. Also a clear distinction is made between such words as Negro, Afro-American, and African American. These words are placed in the context of the time period from which they originated as well as seen in their relationship to society today. The Migration Series is a timeless epic. His works and images convey the injustice, struggle, hope, change, ambition and beauty of the African-American migration. His text, before and after recent changes explains why people felt the need for something better. The series tells the story of Lawrence's commitment to truth, power, and justice.
Notes	"Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Science in Art Education with an Art History Concentration."; Thesis Advisor: Faith Hentschel.; M.S.,Central Connecticut State University,1995; Includes bibliographical references.
Subject	Lawrence, Jacob, 1917-2000. Migration series. African American art.
Department	Department of Art
Advisor	Hentschel, Faith
Type	Text
Software	System requirements: PC and World Wide Web browser.
Language	eng
OCLC number	34288772
Rating

Jacob Lawrence : the Migration Series

Description

Tags

Comments