In the early 1940’s, Archibald John Motley Jr. produced a lively, celebrated painting. Motley was an African American artist that wanted to express his pride in the African American race. He believed that, “It is a culture that is exciting, dynamic, and purely their own” (Harlem). He expressed their culture by creating the piece, Nightlife, right after the Harlem Renaissance.
To start, the vivid colors are what draws people’s attention at first. The paintings colors give off an energetic and joyful feel. The rich colors the artist uses helps set up the mood and tone of the oil painting. The mood is energetic and fun ,while the colors compliment and help set the uplifting and somewhat care free tone of the piece. During this time, African Americans …show more content…
During war, every person has worries and troubles; This painting shows the complete opposite. If someone was always worried and troubled they would probably stay in at night and almost isolate themselves from the things that surrounded them. This was not the case for the African Americans. Even though the people in the painting might have troubles in their life, in the moment they are letting go. Some people look at it as if , “his figures seem to have left the world’s troubles behind” …show more content…
Nightlife represents the jazz life African Americans brought with them; jazz was a big part of their culture. There are people dancing, and in the back there are a group of musical performers. It was said by The Art Institute of Chicago that, “Motley conveyed the sound and motion of jazz through the composition and color.” Also, the roll of implied diagonal lines is huge. “He outlined the figures with simplified, geometric shapes and emphasized diagonal lines, creating a sense of lively motion” (“The”). People are leaning back and forth, dancing, and moving round. These implied diagonal lines give the painting movement. Without the use of diagonal lines the painting would be more stable, which would make the mood less lively and more laidback. The geometric shapes used throughout Nightlife emphasize “a keen understanding of social interactions between men and women, which he particularly expressed through gestures and glances” (Art
To start, the vivid colors are what draws people’s attention at first. The paintings colors give off an energetic and joyful feel. The rich colors the artist uses helps set up the mood and tone of the oil painting. The mood is energetic and fun ,while the colors compliment and help set the uplifting and somewhat care free tone of the piece. During this time, African Americans …show more content…
During war, every person has worries and troubles; This painting shows the complete opposite. If someone was always worried and troubled they would probably stay in at night and almost isolate themselves from the things that surrounded them. This was not the case for the African Americans. Even though the people in the painting might have troubles in their life, in the moment they are letting go. Some people look at it as if , “his figures seem to have left the world’s troubles behind” …show more content…
Nightlife represents the jazz life African Americans brought with them; jazz was a big part of their culture. There are people dancing, and in the back there are a group of musical performers. It was said by The Art Institute of Chicago that, “Motley conveyed the sound and motion of jazz through the composition and color.” Also, the roll of implied diagonal lines is huge. “He outlined the figures with simplified, geometric shapes and emphasized diagonal lines, creating a sense of lively motion” (“The”). People are leaning back and forth, dancing, and moving round. These implied diagonal lines give the painting movement. Without the use of diagonal lines the painting would be more stable, which would make the mood less lively and more laidback. The geometric shapes used throughout Nightlife emphasize “a keen understanding of social interactions between men and women, which he particularly expressed through gestures and glances” (Art