Audre Lorde was born today in 1934 and I’m thinking about her most notable quotes while reading her essays this evening. They give me pause, because the timelessness of her writing is of great comfort now. Our great writers and thinkers deserved so much more than we what gave them when they were with us. … Continue reading Artist a Day: Audre Lorde
The cover of Robin Coste Lewis’ book, Voyage of the Sable Venus features a Harlem Renaissance era photo of a slim black woman standing on a sidewalk deep in thought. With one hand resting on her hip and the other cradling her chin, the woman is pondering what lies behind the glass window in front … Continue reading Poems and Portraits: Revealing and Reclaiming Blackness in Western Art
Photography has always been used as a powerful tool for social change. From Frederick Douglass’ early adoption of photography a medium for countering negative images, to Sojourner Truth’s use of Cartes de Visites, W.E.B DuBois’ curated images at the Paris Exhibition of 1900, to James Van Der Zee’s documenting of the black middle class during the Harlem … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge (11): Roy DeCarava
When I started Culture Shock Art in 2010, my goal was to explore street art and graffiti in Los Angeles, after I stumbled upon street artist JR’s work completely by accident. The process of discovery through investigating the origins of one of his murals led me to his 2010 TED talk after which I purchased one of his lithographs. That … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge 2016-28: Shinique Smith
Laissez le bon temps rouler! I’ve got New Orleans on my mind, so I thought I’d use today’s post to shine a light on the art that’s being made in the Crescent City today. Steeped in tradition, plagued by disaster and portrayed as a crown jewel of urban renewal, New Orleans is a multifaceted and deeply … Continue reading Artist a Day Challenge 2016-9: Brandan Odums & Noirlinians Usher in New Wave of Art in NOLA
Today is Langston Hughes’ 113 birthday, and Google has posted a beautiful doodle in tribute to the writer. I am smitten with the animation by doodler Katy Wu and how the illustration captures the vibrancy of the jazz age and the beautiful message in his poetry. Hughes deftly recognized our stark, painful realities while artistically transcending the pain … Continue reading Today’s Google Doodle: February 1, 2015
Culture Shock Art 