AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art toward a School of Thought

Art History Publication Initiative

by Wadsworth A. Jarrell

Formed on the South Side of Chicago in 1968 at the height of the civil rights, Black power, and Black arts movements, the AFRICOBRA collective created a new artistic visual language rooted in the culture of Chicago's Black neighborhoods. The collective's aesthetics, especially the use of vibrant color, capture the rhythmic dynamism of Black culture and social life. In AFRICOBRA , painter, photographer, and collective cofounder Wadsworth A. Jarrell tells the definitive story of the group's creation, history, and artistic and political principles. From accounts of the painting of the groundbreaking Wall of Respect mural and conversations among group members to documentation of AFRICOBRA's exhibits in Chicago, New York, and Boston, Jarrell outlines how the collective challenged white conceptions of art by developing an artistic philosophy and approach wholly divested of Western practices. Featuring nearly one hundred color images of artworks, exhibition ephemera, and photographs, this book is at once a sourcebook history of AFRICOBRA and the story of visionary artists who rejected the white art establishment in order to create uplifting art for all Black people.

Genres: Art, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

Published May 8, 2020

Reviews

[Sarah]

It seems to be an unintended tradition that I read at least one art book a year and I have to hand it to this one, it was great! I went into this book knowing nothing about AfriCOBRA and am leaving happy to say that I learned a lot. The book follows a cohesive narrative about the group's founding, ideas, and members. If you are thinking of reading it to learn yourself or teach others I would definitely recommend this book! It is also quite special, I think, to have this book written by one of the founding members, it gives a lot of clarity to obscure points in the group's founding from what I could tell.