Charles Henry Alston (November 28, 1907 – April 27, 1977) was an American painter, sculptor, illustrator,
muralist
A mural is any piece of Graphic arts, graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' ...
and teacher who lived and worked in the New York City neighborhood of
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
. Alston was active in the
Harlem Renaissance; Alston was the first African-American supervisor for the
Works Progress Administration
The Works Progress Administration (WPA; renamed in 1939 as the Work Projects Administration) was an American New Deal agency that employed millions of jobseekers (mostly men who were not formally educated) to carry out public works projects, i ...
's
Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
. Alston designed and painted murals at the
Harlem Hospital
Harlem Hospital Center, branded as NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, is a 272-bed, public teaching hospital affiliated with Columbia University. It is located at 506 Lenox Avenue in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City and was founded in 1887.
The hosp ...
and the
Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Building. In 1990, Alston's bust of
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
became the first image of an African American displayed at the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
.
Personal life
Early life
Charles Henry Alston was born on November 28, 1907, in
Charlotte, North Carolina
Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
, to
Reverend Primus Priss Alston and Anna Elizabeth (Miller) Alston, as the youngest of five children.
Three survived past infancy: Charles, his older sister Rousmaniere and his older brother Wendell.
His father had been born into
slavery
Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
in 1851 in
Pittsboro, North Carolina. After the
Civil War
A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country).
The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies ...
, he gained an education and graduated from
St. Augustine's College in Raleigh. He became a prominent minister and founder of St. Michael's Episcopal Church, with an African-American congregation. The senior Alston was described as a "race man": an African American who dedicated his skills to the furtherance of the black race.
Reverend Alston met his wife when she was a student at his school. Charles was nicknamed "Spinky" by his father, and kept the nickname as an adult. In 1910, when Charles was three, his father died suddenly of a
cerebral hemorrhage. Locals described his father as the "
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...
of Charlotte".
In 1913, Anna Alston remarried, to Harry Bearden, brother of
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City a ...
's father. Through the marriage, Charles and Romare became cousins. The two Bearden families lived across the street from each other; the friendship between Romare and Charles would last a lifetime.
As a child Alston was inspired by his older brother Wendell's drawings of trains and cars, which the young artist copied.
Charles also played with clay, creating a sculpture of
North Carolina
North Carolina () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States. The state is the 28th largest and 9th-most populous of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, Georgia and ...
. As an adult he reflected on his memories of sculpting with clay as a child: "I'd get buckets of it and put it through strainers and make things out of it. I think that's the first art experience I remember, making things."
His mother was a skilled
embroiderer and took up painting at the age of 75. His father was also good at drawing, having wooed Alston's mother Anna with small sketches in the medians of letters he wrote her.
In 1915, the Bearden/Alston family moved to New York, as many African-American families did during the
Great Migration.
Alston's step-father, Henry Bearden, left before his wife and children in order to get work. He secured a job overseeing
elevator
An elevator or lift is a cable-assisted, hydraulic cylinder-assisted, or roller-track assisted machine that vertically transports people or freight between floors, levels, or decks of a building, vessel, or other structure. They a ...
operations and the
newsstand staff at the
Bretton Hotel in the
Upper West Side
The Upper West Side (UWS) is a neighborhood in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It is bounded by Central Park on the east, the Hudson River on the west, West 59th Street to the south, and West 110th Street to the north. The Upper West ...
. The family lived in
Harlem
Harlem is a neighborhood in Upper Manhattan, New York City. It is bounded roughly by the Hudson River on the west; the Harlem River and 155th Street on the north; Fifth Avenue on the east; and Central Park North on the south. The greater Ha ...
and was considered middle-class. During the
Great Depression, the people of Harlem suffered economically. The "stoic strength" seen within the community was later expressed in Charles’ fine art.
At Public School 179 in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, the boy's artistic abilities were recognized and he was asked to draw all of the school posters during his years there.
Harry and Anna Bearden had a daughter together, Aida C. Bearden (1917–2007). On June 9, 1943, in
Manhattan
Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the original counties of the U.S. state ...
, she married operatic baritone
Lawrence Whisonant.
Higher education
Alston graduated from
DeWitt Clinton High School
, motto_translation = Without Work Nothing Is Accomplished
, image = DeWitt Clinton High School front entrance IMG 7441 HLG.jpg
, seal_image = File:Clinton News.JPG
, seal_size = 124px
, ...
, where he was nominated for academic excellence and was the art editor of the school's magazine, ''The Magpie''. He was a member of the
Arista - National Honor Society and also studied drawing and anatomy at the Saturday school of the
National Academy of Art
China Academy of Art (), also translated as China National Academy of Fine Arts, was founded in Hangzhou in 1928 by the government of the Republic of China (1912–49), Republic of China and the renowned educator Cai Yuanpei. It was the first a ...
.
In high school he was given his first
oil paint
Oil paint is a type of slow-drying paint that consists of particles of pigment suspended in a drying oil, commonly linseed oil. The viscosity of the paint may be modified by the addition of a solvent such as turpentine or white spirit, and va ...
s and learned about his aunt
Bessye Bearden's art salons, which stars like
Duke Ellington and
Langston Hughes attended. After graduating in 1925, he attended
Columbia University
Columbia University (also known as Columbia, and officially as Columbia University in the City of New York) is a private research university in New York City. Established in 1754 as King's College on the grounds of Trinity Church in Manhatt ...
, turning down a scholarship to the
Yale School of Fine Arts
The Yale School of Art is the art school of Yale University. Founded in 1869 as the first professional fine arts school in the United States, it grants Masters of Fine Arts degrees to students completing a two-year course in graphic design, painti ...
.
Alston entered the pre-architectural program but lost interest after realizing what difficulties many African-American architects had in the field. After also taking classes in
pre-med
Pre-medical (often referred to as pre-med) is an educational track that undergraduate students in the United States pursue prior to becoming medical students. It involves activities that prepare a student for medical school, such as pre-med course ...
, he decided that math, physics and chemistry "was not just my bag", and he entered the fine arts program. During his time at Columbia, Alston joined
Alpha Phi Alpha, worked on the university's ''
Columbia Daily Spectator'', and drew cartoons for the school's magazine ''
Jester''.
He also explored Harlem restaurants and clubs, where his love for jazz and black music would be fostered. In 1929, he graduated and received a fellowship to study at
Teachers College
A normal school or normal college is an institution created to train teachers by educating them in the norms of pedagogy and curriculum. In the 19th century in the United States, instruction in normal schools was at the high school level, turni ...
, where he obtained his Master's in 1931.
Later life
For the years 1942–43 Alston was stationed in the army at
Fort Huachuca in
Arizona
Arizona ( ; nv, Hoozdo Hahoodzo ; ood, Alĭ ṣonak ) is a state in the Southwestern United States. It is the 6th largest and the 14th most populous of the 50 states. Its capital and largest city is Phoenix. Arizona is part of the Fou ...
. Upon returning to New York on April 8, 1944, he married Dr.
Myra Adele Logan, then an intern at the
Harlem Hospital
Harlem Hospital Center, branded as NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, is a 272-bed, public teaching hospital affiliated with Columbia University. It is located at 506 Lenox Avenue in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City and was founded in 1887.
The hosp ...
. They met when he was working on a
mural project at the hospital. Their home, which included his studio, was on Edgecombe Avenue near
Highbridge Park
Highbridge Park is a public park on the western bank of the Harlem River in Washington Heights, Manhattan, New York City. It stretches between 155th Street and Dyckman Street in Upper Manhattan. The park is operated by the New York City Depa ...
. The couple lived close to family; at their frequent gatherings Alston enjoyed cooking and Myra played piano. During the 1940s Alston also took occasional art classes, studying under
Alexander Kostellow.
In January 1977, Myra Logan and Months later on April 27, 1977, Charles ''Spinky'' Alston both died after a long bout with cancer.
His memorial service was held at St. Martins Episcopal Church on May 21, 1977, in New York City.
[Charles Henry Alston Memorial Service. May 21, 1977. ]Archives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...
.
Professional career
While obtaining his master's degree, Alston was the boys’ work director at the Utopia Children's House, started by
James Lesesne Wells
James Lesesne Wells (November 2, 1902 – January 20, 1993) was an African American graphic artist, print-maker, and painter associated with the Harlem Renaissance. He was an influential art professor at Howard University from 1929 to 1968 and is ...
.
He also began teaching at the
Harlem Community Art Center, founded by
Augusta Savage in the basement of what is now the
Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture.
Alston's teaching style was influenced by the work of
John Dewey,
Arthur Wesley Dow
Arthur Wesley Dow (1857 – December 13, 1922) was an American painter, printmaker, photographer and an arts educator.
Early life
Arthur Wesley Dow was born in Ipswich, Massachusetts, in 1857. Dow received his first art training in 1880 from An ...
, and
Thomas Munro
Major-General Sir Thomas Munro, 1st Baronet KCB (27 May 17616 July 1827) was a Scottish soldier and British colonial administrator. He served as an East India Company Army officer and statesman, in addition to also being the governor of Mad ...
. During this period, Alston began to teach the 10-year-old
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Armstead Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", although by his own ...
, whom he strongly influenced.
Alston was introduced to
African art
African art describes the modern and historical paintings, sculptures, installations, and other visual culture from native or indigenous Ethnic groups of Africa, Africans and the African continent. The definition may also include the art of the ...
by the poet
Alain Locke
Alain LeRoy Locke (September 13, 1885 – June 9, 1954) was an American writer, philosopher, educator, and patron of the arts. Distinguished in 1907 as the first African-American Rhodes Scholar, Locke became known as the philosophical architect ...
.
In the late 1920s Alston joined Bearden and other black artists who refused to exhibit in
William E. Harmon Foundation
The Harmon Foundation was established in 1921 by wealthy real-estate developer and philanthropist William E. Harmon (1862–1928). A native of the Midwest, Harmon's father was an officer in the 10th Cavalry Regiment.
The Foundation originally su ...
shows, which featured all-black artists in their traveling exhibits. Alston and his friends thought the exhibits were curated for a white audience, a form of segregation which the men protested. They did not want to be set aside but exhibited on the same level as art peers of every skin color.
In 1938, the
Rosenwald Fund
The Rosenwald Fund (also known as the Rosenwald Foundation, the Julius Rosenwald Fund, and the Julius Rosenwald Foundation) was established in 1917 by Julius Rosenwald and his family for "the well-being of mankind." Rosenwald became part-owner of S ...
provided money for Alston to travel to the South, which was his first return there since leaving as a child. His travel with Giles Hubert, an inspector for the
Farm Security Administration, gave him access to certain situations and he photographed many aspects of rural life.
These photographs served as the basis for a series of genre portraits depicting southern black life. In 1940, he completed ''Tobacco Farmer'', the portrait of a young black farmer in white
overalls
Overalls, also called bib-and-brace overalls or dungarees, are a type of garment usually used as protective clothing when working. The garments are commonly referred to as a "pair of overalls" by analogy with "pair of trousers".
Overalls were ...
and a blue shirt with a youthful yet serious look upon his face, sitting in front of the landscape and buildings he works on and in. That same year Alston received a second round of funding from the Rosenwald Fund to travel South, and he spent extended time at
Atlanta University
Clark Atlanta University (CAU or Clark Atlanta) is a private, Methodist, historically black research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Clark Atlanta is the first Historically Black College or University (HBCU) in the Southern United States. Fou ...
.
During the 1930s and early 1940s, Alston created illustrations for magazines such as ''
Fortune'', ''
Mademoiselle'', ''
The New Yorker
''The New Yorker'' is an American weekly magazine featuring journalism, commentary, criticism, essays, fiction, satire, cartoons, and poetry. Founded as a weekly in 1925, the magazine is published 47 times annually, with five of these issues ...
'', ''
Melody Maker'' and others.
He also designed album covers for artists such as
Duke Ellington and
Coleman Hawkins
Coleman Randolph Hawkins (November 21, 1904 – May 19, 1969), nicknamed "Hawk" and sometimes "Bean", was an American jazz tenor saxophonist.Yanow, Scot"Coleman Hawkins: Artist Biography" AllMusic. Retrieved December 27, 2013. One of the first p ...
.
Alston became staff artist at the
Office of War Information
The United States Office of War Information (OWI) was a United States government agency created during World War II. The OWI operated from June 1942 until September 1945. Through radio broadcasts, newspapers, posters, photographs, films and other ...
and Public Relations in 1940, creating drawings of notable African Americans. These images were used in over 200
black newspapers across the country by the government to "foster goodwill with the black citizenry."
Eventually Alston left commercial work to focus on his own artwork. In 1950, he became the first African-American instructor at the
Art Students League
The Art Students League of New York is an art school at 215 West 57th Street in Manhattan, New York City, New York. The League has historically been known for its broad appeal to both amateurs and professional artists.
Although artists may stu ...
, where he remained on faculty until 1971.
In 1950, his ''Painting'' was exhibited at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art
The Metropolitan Museum of Art of New York City, colloquially "the Met", is the largest art museum in the Americas. Its permanent collection contains over two million works, divided among 17 curatorial departments. The main building at 1000 ...
, and his artwork was one of the few pieces purchased by the museum.
He landed his first solo exhibition in 1953 at the
John Heller Gallery, which represented artists such as
Roy Lichtenstein. He exhibited there five times from 1953 to 1958.
In 1956, Alston became the first African-American instructor at the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
, where he taught for a year before going to
Belgium
Belgium, ; french: Belgique ; german: Belgien officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. The country is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeast, France to th ...
on behalf of MOMA and the
State Department. He coordinated the children's community center at
Expo 58. In 1958, he was awarded a grant from and was elected as a member of the
American Academy of Arts and Letters
The American Academy of Arts and Letters is a 300-member honor society whose goal is to "foster, assist, and sustain excellence" in American literature, music, and art. Its fixed number membership is elected for lifetime appointments. Its headqu ...
.
In 1963, Alston co-founded
Spiral with his cousin
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City a ...
and
Hale Woodruff
Hale Aspacio Woodruff (August 26, 1900 – September 6, 1980) was an American artist known for his murals, paintings, and prints.
Early life, family and education
Woodruff was born in Cairo, Illinois, in on August 26, 1900. He grew up in a black ...
.
Spiral served as a collective of conversation and artistic exploration for a large group of artists who "addressed how black artists should relate to American society in a time of segregation." Artists and arts supporters gathered for Spiral, such as
Emma Amos,
Perry Ferguson and
Merton Simpson.
This group served as the 1960s version of "306". Alston was described as an "intellectual activist", and in 1968 he spoke at
Columbia about his activism. In the mid-1960s Spiral organized an exhibition of black and white artworks, but the exhibition was never officially sponsored by the group, due to internal disagreements.
In 1968, Alston received a presidential appointment from
Lyndon Johnson to the National Council of Culture and the Arts. Mayor
John Lindsay
John Vliet Lindsay (; November 24, 1921 – December 19, 2000) was an American politician and lawyer. During his political career, Lindsay was a U.S. congressman, mayor of New York City, and candidate for U.S. president. He was also a regular ...
appointed him to the
New York City Art Commission
The New York City Public Design Commission, known legally as the Art Commission, is the agency of the New York City government that reviews permanent works of architecture, landscape architecture, and art proposed on or over city-owned property.
...
in 1969.
In 1973, he was made full professor at
City College of New York, where he had taught since 1968.
In 1975, he was awarded the first Distinguished Alumni Award from Teachers College.
The Art Student's League created a 21-year merit scholarship in 1977 under Alston's name to commemorate each year of his tenure.
Painting a person and a culture
Alston shared studio space with
Henry Bannarn at 306 W. 141st Street, which served as an open space for artists, photographers, musicians, writers and the like. Other artists held studio space at "306", such as Jacob Lawrence,
Addison Bate and his brother Leon.
During this time Alston founded the
Harlem Artists Guild with Savage and
Elba Lightfoot to work toward equality in
WPA
WPA may refer to:
Computing
*Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard
*Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing
* Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada
* Windows Performance An ...
art programs in New York. During the early years of 306, Alston focused on mastering
portraiture
A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this r ...
. His early works such as ''Portrait of a Man'' (1929) show Alston's detailed and realistic style depicted through
pastels and charcoals, inspired by the style of
Winold Reiss
F. Winold Reiss (September 16, 1886 – August 23, 1953) was a German-born American artist and graphic designer. He was born in Karlsruhe, Germany, the second son of Fritz Reiss (1857–1914) and his wife. He grew up surrounded by art, as his fa ...
. In his ''Girl in a Red Dress'' (1934) and ''The Blue Shirt'' (1935), Alston used modern and innovative techniques for his portraits of young individuals in Harlem. ''Blue Shirt'' is thought to be a portrait of
Jacob Lawrence
Jacob Armstead Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000) was an American painter known for his portrayal of African-American historical subjects and contemporary life. Lawrence referred to his style as "dynamic cubism", although by his own ...
. During this time he also created ''Man Seated with Travel Bag'' (c. 1938–40), showing the seedy and bleak environment, contrasting with work like the racially charged ''Vaudeville'' (c. 1930) and its
caricature style of a man in
blackface.
Inspired by his trip south, Alston began his "family series" in the 1940s.
Intensity and angularity come through in the faces of the youth in his portraits ''Untitled (Portrait of a Girl)'' and ''Untitled (Portrait of a Boy)''. These works also show the influence that
African sculpture
Most African sculpture was historically in wood and other organic materials that have not survived from earlier than at most a few centuries ago; older pottery figures are found from a number of areas. Masks are important elements in the art of m ...
had on his portraiture, with ''Portrait of a Boy'' showing more
cubist
Cubism is an early-20th-century avant-garde art movement that revolutionized European painting and sculpture, and inspired related movements in music, literature and architecture. In Cubist artwork, objects are analyzed, broken up and reassemble ...
features. Later family portraits show Alston's exploration of
religious symbolism
A religious symbol is an iconic representation intended to represent a specific religion, or a specific concept within a given religion.
Religious symbols have been used in the military in many countries, such as the United States military chapl ...
, color, form and space. His family group portraits are often faceless, which Alston states is the way that white America views blacks. Paintings such as ''Family'' (1955) show a woman seated and a man standing with two children – the parents seem almost solemn while the children are described as hopeful and with a use of color made famous by
Cézanne. In ''Family Group'' (c. 1950) Alston's use of gray and
ochre tones brings together the parents and son as if one with geometric patterns connecting them together as if a
puzzle. The simplicity of the look, style and emotion upon the family is reflective and probably inspired by Alston's trip south. His work during this time has been described as being "characterized by his reductive use of form combined with a sun-hued" palette. During this time he also started to experiment with
ink and wash painting
Ink wash painting ( zh, t=水墨畫, s=水墨画, p=shuǐmòhuà; ja, 水墨画, translit=suiboku-ga or ja, 墨絵, translit=sumi-e; ko, 수묵화, translit=sumukhwa) is a type of Chinese ink brush painting which uses black ink, such as tha ...
, which is seen in work such as ''Portrait of a Woman'' (1955), as well as creating portraits to illustrate the music surrounding him in Harlem. ''Blues Singer #4'' shows a female singer on stage with a white flower on her shoulder and a bold red dress.
''Girl in a Red Dress'' is thought to be
Bessie Smith
Bessie Smith (April 15, 1894 – September 26, 1937) was an American blues singer widely renowned during the Jazz Age. Nicknamed the " Empress of the Blues", she was the most popular female blues singer of the 1930s. Inducted into the Rock a ...
, whom he drew many times when she was recording and performing. Jazz was an important influence in Alston's work and social life, which he expressed in such works as ''Jazz'' (1950) and ''Harlem at Night''.
The 1960s civil rights movement influenced his work deeply, and he made artworks expressing feelings related to inequality and race relations in the United States. One of his few religious artworks was ''Christ Head'' (1960), which had an angular "
Modiglianiesque" portrait of
Jesus Christ
Jesus, likely from he, יֵשׁוּעַ, translit=Yēšūaʿ, label=Hebrew/Aramaic ( AD 30 or 33), also referred to as Jesus Christ or Jesus of Nazareth (among other names and titles), was a first-century Jewish preacher and religious ...
. Seven years later he created ''You never really meant it, did you, Mr. Charlie?'' which, in a similar style as ''Christ Head'', shows a black man standing against a red sky "looking as frustrated as any individual can look", according to Alston.
Modernism
Experimenting with the use of
negative space
Negative space, in art, is the empty space around and between the subject(s) of an image. Negative space may be most evident when the space around a subject, not the subject itself, forms an interesting or artistically relevant shape, and s ...
and organic forms in the late 1940s, by the mid-1950s Alston began creating notably
modernist
Modernism is both a philosophy, philosophical and arts movement that arose from broad transformations in Western world, Western society during the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The movement reflected a desire for the creation of new fo ...
style paintings. ''Woman with Flowers'' (1949) has been described as a tribute to
Modigliani. ''Ceremonial'' (1950) shows that he was influenced by African art. Untitled works during this era show his use of color overlay, using muted colors to create simple layered abstracts of still lifes. ''Symbol'' (1953) relates to
Picasso's ''
Guernica
Guernica (, ), official name (reflecting the Basque language) Gernika (), is a town in the province of Biscay, in the Autonomous Community of the Basque Country, Spain. The town of Guernica is one part (along with neighbouring Lumo) of the mu ...
'', which was a favorite work of Alston's.
His final work of the 1950s, ''Walking'', was inspired by the
Montgomery bus boycott
The Montgomery bus boycott was a political and social protest campaign against the policy of racial segregation on the public transit system of Montgomery, Alabama. It was a foundational event in the civil rights movement in the United States ...
. It is taken to represent "the surge of energy among African Americans to organize in their struggle for full equality."
Alston is quoted as saying, "The idea of a march was growing....It was in the air...and this painting just came. I called it ''Walking'' on purpose. It wasn't the militancy that you saw later. It was a very definite walk-not going back, no hesitation."
Black and white
The
civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
of the 1960s was a major influence on Alston. In the late 1950s, he began working in black and white, which he continued up until the mid-1960s, and the period is considered one of his most powerful. Some of the works are simple abstracts of black ink on white paper, similar to a
Rorschach test. ''Untitled'' (c. 1960s) shows a
boxing
Boxing (also known as "Western boxing" or "pugilism") is a combat sport in which two people, usually wearing protective gloves and other protective equipment such as hand wraps and mouthguards, throw punches at each other for a predetermine ...
match, with an attempt to express the drama of the fight through few brushstrokes. Alston worked with oil-on-
Masonite
Masonite is a type of hardboard, a kind of engineered wood, which is made of steam-cooked and pressure-molded wood fibers in a process patented by William H. Mason. It is also called Quartrboard, Isorel, hernit, karlit, torex, treetex, and ...
during this period as well, using
impasto
''Impasto'' is a technique used in painting, where paint is laid on an area of the surface thickly, usually thick enough that the brush or painting-knife strokes are visible. Paint can also be mixed right on the canvas. When dry, impasto provide ...
, cream, and
ochre to create a moody cave-like artwork. ''Black and White #1'' (1959) is one of Alston's more "monumental" works. Gray, white and black come together to fight for space on an
abstract canvas, in a softer form than the more harsh
Franz Kline
Franz Kline (May 23, 1910 – May 13, 1962) was an American painter. He is associated with the Abstract Expressionist movement of the 1940s and 1950s. Kline, along with other action painters like Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, Robert Mot ...
. Alston continued to explore the relationship between
monochromatic hues throughout the series which Wardlaw describes as "some of the most profoundly beautiful works of twentieth-century American art."
Murals
In the beginning Charles Alston's mural work was inspired by the work of
Aaron Douglas,
Diego Rivera
Diego María de la Concepción Juan Nepomuceno Estanislao de la Rivera y Barrientos Acosta y Rodríguez, known as Diego Rivera (; December 8, 1886 – November 24, 1957), was a prominent Mexican painter. His large frescoes helped establish the ...
and
José Clemente Orozco. He met Orozco when they did mural work in New York.
In 1943, Alston was elected to the board of directors of the
National Society of Mural Painters
The National Society of Mural Painters (NSMP) is an American artists' organization originally known as The Mural Painters. The charter of the society is to advance the techniques and standards for the design and execution of mural art for the enri ...
. He created murals for the
Harlem Hospital
Harlem Hospital Center, branded as NYC Health + Hospitals/Harlem, is a 272-bed, public teaching hospital affiliated with Columbia University. It is located at 506 Lenox Avenue in Harlem, Manhattan, New York City and was founded in 1887.
The hosp ...
,
Golden State Mutual,
American Museum of Natural History, Public School 154, the Bronx Family and Criminal Court and the
Abraham Lincoln High School in
Brooklyn
Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...
, New York.
Harlem Hospital Murals
Originally hired as an easel painter, in 1935 Alston became the first African-American supervisor to work for the
WPA
WPA may refer to:
Computing
*Wi-Fi Protected Access, a wireless encryption standard
*Windows Product Activation, in Microsoft software licensing
* Wireless Public Alerting (Alert Ready), emergency alerts over LTE in Canada
* Windows Performance An ...
's
Federal Art Project
The Federal Art Project (1935–1943) was a New Deal program to fund the visual arts in the United States. Under national director Holger Cahill, it was one of five Federal Project Number One projects sponsored by the Works Progress Administrati ...
(FAP) in New York. This was his first mural.
At this time he was awarded WPA Project Number 1262 – an opportunity to oversee a group of artists creating
mural
A mural is any piece of graphic artwork that is painted or applied directly to a wall, ceiling or other permanent substrate. Mural techniques include fresco, mosaic, graffiti and marouflage.
Word mural in art
The word ''mural'' is a Spani ...
s and to supervise their painting for the Harlem Hospital.
It was the first government commission ever awarded to African-American artists, who included
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney (December 30, 1901 – March 26, 1979) was an American modernist painter. He is remembered for his work with the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as his later works in abstract expressionism following his mo ...
,
Seabrook Powell and
Vertis Hayes.
He also had the chance to create and paint his own contribution to the collection: ''Magic in Medicine'' and ''Modern Medicine''.
These paintings were part of a diptych completed in 1936 depicting the history of medicine in the African-American community and
Beauford Delaney
Beauford Delaney (December 30, 1901 – March 26, 1979) was an American modernist painter. He is remembered for his work with the Harlem Renaissance in the 1930s and 1940s, as well as his later works in abstract expressionism following his mo ...
served as assistant.
When creating the murals, Alston was inspired by the work of
Aaron Douglas, who a year earlier had created the
public art
Public art is art in any media whose form, function and meaning are created for the general public through a public process. It is a specific art genre with its own professional and critical discourse. Public art is visually and physically acce ...
piece ''Aspects of Negro Life'' for the
New York Public Library. He had researched traditional
African culture
African or Africans may refer to:
* Anything from or pertaining to the continent of Africa:
** People who are native to Africa, descendants of natives of Africa, or individuals who trace their ancestry to indigenous inhabitants of Africa
*** Ethn ...
, including
traditional African medicine
Traditional African medicine is a range of traditional medicine disciplines involving indigenous herbalism and African spirituality, typically including diviners, midwives, and herbalists. Practitioners of traditional African medicine claim ...
. ''Magic in Medicine'', which depicts African culture and
holistic
Holism () is the idea that various systems (e.g. physical, biological, social) should be viewed as wholes, not merely as a collection of parts. The term "holism" was coined by Jan Smuts in his 1926 book '' Holism and Evolution''."holism, n." OED On ...
healing, is considered one of "America's first public scenes of Africa". All of the mural sketches submitted were accepted by the FAP; however, hospital superintendent Lawrence T. Dermody and commissioner of hospitals S.S. Goldwater rejected four proposals, due to what they said was an excessive amount of African-American representation in the works.
The artists fought their response, writing letters to gain support. Four years later they succeeded in gaining the right to complete the murals.
The sketches for ''Magic in Medicine'' and ''Modern Medicine'' were exhibited in the
Museum of Modern Art
The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues.
It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of ...
's "New Horizons in American Art".
=Condition
=
Alston's murals were hung in the Women's Pavilion of the hospital over uncapped
radiators, which caused the paintings to deteriorate from the steam. Plans failed to recap the radiators. In 1959, Alston estimated, in a letter to the
Department of Public Works
This list indicates government departments in various countries dedicated to public works or infrastructure.
See also
* Public works
* Ministry or Board of Public Works, the imperial Chinese ministry overseeing public projects from the Tang ...
, that the conservation would cost $1,500 but the funds were never acquired. In 1968, after the
assassination of Martin Luther King Jr., Alston was asked to create another mural for the hospital, to be placed in a pavilion named after the slain
civil rights movement
The civil rights movement was a nonviolent social and political movement and campaign from 1954 to 1968 in the United States to abolish legalized institutional racial segregation, discrimination, and disenfranchisement throughout the Unite ...
leader. It was to be titled ''Man Emerging from the Darkness of Poverty and Ignorance into the Light of a Better World.''
One year after Alston's death in 1977, a group of artists and historians, including the renowned painter and
collagist Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City a ...
and art historian Greta Berman, together with administrators from the hospital, and from the NYC Art Commission, examined the murals, and presented a proposal for their restoration to then-mayor
Ed Koch
Edward Irving Koch ( ; December 12, 1924February 1, 2013) was an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, film critic, and television personality. He served in the United States House of Representatives from 1969 to 1977 and was ma ...
. The request was approved, and conservator Alan Farancz set to work in 1979, rescuing the murals from further decay. Many years passed, and the murals began to deteriorate again – especially the Alston works, which continued to suffer effects from the radiators. In 1991, the
Municipal Art Society
The Municipal Art Society of New York (MAS) is a non-profit membership organization for preservation in New York City, which aims to encourage thoughtful planning and urban design and inclusive neighborhoods across the city.
The organization was ...
's Adopt-a-Mural program was launched, and the Harlem Hospital murals were chosen for further restoration (Greta Berman. Personal experience). A grant from Alston's sister Rousmaniere Wilson and step-sister Aida Bearden Winters assisted in completing a restoration of the works in 1993.
In 2005, Harlem Hospital announced a $2 million project to
conserve Alston's murals and three other pieces in the original commissioned project as part of a $225 million hospital expansion.
Golden State Mutual murals
In the late 1940s Alston became involved in a mural project commissioned by
Golden State Mutual Life Insurance Company, which asked the artists to create work related to African-American contributions to the settling of California. Alston worked with
Hale Woodruff
Hale Aspacio Woodruff (August 26, 1900 – September 6, 1980) was an American artist known for his murals, paintings, and prints.
Early life, family and education
Woodruff was born in Cairo, Illinois, in on August 26, 1900. He grew up in a black ...
on the murals in a large studio space in New York; they used ladders to reach the upper parts of the canvas.
The artworks, which are considered "priceless contributions to American narrative art", consist of two panels: ''Exploration and Colonization'' by Alston and ''Settlement and Development'' by Woodruff. Alston's piece covers the period of 1527 to 1850. Images of mountain man
James Beckwourth
James Pierson Beckwourth (born Beckwith, April 26, 1798 or 1800 – October 29, 1866 or 1867), was an American mountain man, fur trader, and explorer. Beckwourth was known as "Bloody Arm" because of his skill as a fighter. He was mixed-race and ...
,
Biddy Mason
Biddy Mason (August 15, 1818 – January 15, 1891) was an African-American nurse and a Californian real estate entrepreneur and philanthropist. She was one of the founders of the First African Methodist Episcopal Church in Los Angeles, Calif ...
, and
William Leidesdorff are portrayed in the well-detailed historical mural. Both artists kept in contact with African Americans on the
West Coast during creation of the murals, which influenced their content and depictions. The murals were unveiled in 1949, and have been on display in the lobby of the Golden State Mutual Headquarters.
Due to
economic downturn in the early 21st century, Golden State was forced to sell their entire art collection to ward off its mounting debts. As of spring 2011 the
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...
had offered $750,000 to purchase the artworks. This generated controversy, as the artworks have been estimated to be worth at least $5 million. Supporters tried to protect the murals by gaining city landmark protections by the
Los Angeles Conservancy. The state of California had declined philanthropic proposals to keep the murals in their original location, and the
Smithsonian withdrew their offer. The disposition of the murals are subject to a court case over jurisdiction, which was unresolved in the spring of 2011.
Sculpture
Alston also created sculptures. ''Head of a Woman'' (1957) shows his shift toward a "reductive and modern approach to sculpture....where facial features were suggested rather than fully formulated in three dimensions,".
In 1970, Alston was commissioned by the Community Church of New York to create a bust of
Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister and activist, one of the most prominent leaders in the civil rights movement from 1955 until his assassination in 1968 ...
for $5,000, with only five copies produced.
[Special Committee on the Martin Luther King Bust. Minutes of the Meeting of the Special Committee on the Martin Luther King Bust. June 23, 1970. ]Archives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...
.[Harrington, D. Martin Luther King Jr. Bust. Community Church of New York. October 22, 1970. ]Archives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...
. In 1990, Alston's
bronze bust of Martin Luther King Jr. (1970), became the first image of an African American to be displayed in the
White House
The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in ...
.
When
Barack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
became the first black president in 2009, he brought the bust of Martin Luther King Jr. into the Oval Office, replacing a bust of
Winston Churchill
Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 187424 January 1965) was a British statesman, soldier, and writer who served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom twice, from 1940 to 1945 during the Second World War, and again from ...
. This marked the first time an image of an African American was displayed in the president's work quarters. Furthermore, the bust became a predominant work seen in official portraits of visiting dignitaries. Now, a second copy of the famous Martin Luther King Jr. bust is displayed in Washington for the public to view up close.
World War II propaganda
During
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, scholars have theorized that the black press strived to appeal to the black readers, while also appeasing the U.S. government by supporting the war. Charles Alston produced over one hundred government propagandistic illustrations that supported the national position on the war for the
U.S. Office of War Information. Simultaneously, the cartoons were targeted to a black audience, designed exclusively for publication in the weekly black newspapers to address specific, controversial issues in the black community.
Reception
Art critic Emily Genauer
Emily Genauer (July 19, 1911 – August 23, 2002) was an American art critic for the ''New York World'', the '' New York Herald Tribune'', and '' Newsday''. She won the Pulitzer Prize for Criticism in 1974.
Biography
She was born on Staten Islan ...
stated that Alston "refused to be pigeonholed", regarding his varied exploration in his artwork.
Patron
Lemoine Deleaver Pierce said of Alston's work: "Never thought of as an innovative artist, Alston generally ignored popular art trends and violated many mainstream art conventions; he produced abstract and figurative paintings often simultaneously, refusing to be stylistically consistent, and during his 40-year career he worked prolifically and unapologetically in both commercial and fine art."
Romare Bearden
Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 – March 12, 1988) was an American artist, author, and songwriter. He worked with many types of media including cartoons, oils, and collages. Born in Charlotte, North Carolina, Bearden grew up in New York City a ...
described Alston as "...one of the most versatile artists whose enormous skill led him to a diversity of styles..." Bearden also describes the professionalism and impact that Alston had on Harlem and the African-American community: "'was a consummate artist and a voice in the development of African American art who never doubted the excellence of all people's sensitivity and creative ability. During his long professional career, Alston significantly enriched the cultural life of Harlem. In a profound sense, he was a man who built bridges between Black artists in varying fields, and between other Americans."
Writer
June Jordan
June Millicent Jordan (July 9, 1936 – June 14, 2002) was an American poet, essayist, teacher, and activist. In her writing she explored issues of gender, race, immigration, and representation.
Jordan was passionate about using Black English ...
described Alston as "an American artist of first magnitude, and he is a Black American artist of undisturbed integrity."
[Jordan, June. Publication proposal, March 25, 1970. ]Archives of American Art
The Archives of American Art is the largest collection of primary resources documenting the history of the visual arts in the United States. More than 20 million items of original material are housed in the Archives' research centers in Washingt ...
.
Major exhibitions
*''A Force for Change'', group show, 2009,
Spertus Museum, Chicago
*''Canvasing the Movement'', group show, 2009,
Reginald F. Lewis Museum of Maryland African American History & Culture
*''On Higher Ground: Selections From the Walter O. Evans Collection'', group show, 2001,
Henry Ford Museum
The Henry Ford (also known as the Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village, and as the Edison Institute) is a history museum complex in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan, United States. The museum collection contains ...
, Michigan
*''Rhapsodies in Black: Art of the Harlem Renaissance'', group show, 1998,
Corcoran Gallery of Art
The Corcoran Gallery of Art was an art museum in Washington, D.C., United States, that is now the location of the Corcoran School of the Arts and Design, a part of the George Washington University.
Overview
The Corcoran School of the Arts & Design ...
, Washington, D.C.
*''In the Spirit of Resistance: African-American Modernists and the Mexican Muralist School'', group show, 1996,
The Studio Museum in Harlem
The Studio Museum in Harlem is an American art museum devoted to the work of artists of African descent. The museum's galleries are currently closed in preparation for a building project that will replace the current building, located at 144 W ...
, New York
*''Charles Alston: Artist and Teacher'', 1990, Kenkeleba Gallery, New York
*''Masters and Pupils: The Education of the Black Artist in New York'', 1986,
Jamaica Arts Center, New York
*''Hundred Anniversary Exhibition of Paintings and Sculpture'', 1975,
Art Students League of New York, New York
*Solo exhibition, 1969,
Huntington Hartford Gallery of Modern Art, New York.
*Solo exhibition, 1968,
Fairleigh Dickinson University
Fairleigh Dickinson University is a private university with its main campuses in the U.S. state of New Jersey. Founded in 1942, Fairleigh Dickinson University currently offers more than 100 degree programs to its students. In addition to its tw ...
, New Jersey
*''A Tribute to Negro Artists in Honor of the 100th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation'', group show, 1963,
Albany Institute of History and Art
Major collections
*
Hampton University
*
Harmon and Harriet Kelly Foundation for the Arts
*
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People
The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) is a civil rights organization in the United States, formed in 1909 as an interracial endeavor to advance justice for African Americans by a group including W. E. ...
*
Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Kalamazoo, MI
*
National Museum of African American History and Culture
The National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC) is a Smithsonian Institution museum located on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., in the United States. It was established in December 2003 and opened its permanent home in ...
*
Whitney Museum of American Art
The Whitney Museum of American Art, known informally as "The Whitney", is an art museum in the Meatpacking District and West Village neighborhoods of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1930 by Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (1875–194 ...
Notes
32. ^"Charles Alston, Artist and Teacher." African American Registry. 30 July 2020. Web. 10 Mar. 2021.
Charles Alston, Artist, and Teacher born
References
*Finkelman, Paul (2004). ''Encyclopedia of the Harlem Renaissance''. London: Routledge. .
*Henderson, Henry (1993). ''A History of African-American Artists: From 1792 to the Present''. New York: Pantheon Books. .
*Patton, Sharon (1998). ''African-American Art''. Oxford: Oxford University Press. .
*Pierce, Lemoine (2004). "Charles Alston – An Appreciation". ''The International Review of African American Art'' (4): 33–38.
*Schwartzman, Myron (1990). ''Romare Bearden: His Life and Art''. New York: Abrams Books. .
*Wardlaw, Alvia J. (2007). ''Charles Alston''. Petaluma, California: Pomegranate Communications. .
Further reading
*Anonymous
"First portrait of an Africa-American on display at White House"''
New York Amsterdam News
The ''Amsterdam News'' (also known as ''New York Amsterdam News'') is a weekly Black-owned newspaper serving New York City. It is one of the oldest newspapers geared toward African Americans in the United States and has published columns by s ...
'', March 2, 2000. Article about Alston's ''Martin Luther King Jr.'' at the White House.
*Catlin, Roger
"A Rare and Important Sculpture of Martin Luther King" January 15, 2016. Article about the importance of Alston's ''Martin Luther King'' bust by Smithsonian Magazine.
*Ascoli, Peter M, et al. ''A force for change: African American art and the Julius Rosenwald Fund''. Chicago: Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies. 2009. Book that documents the concept of and recipients of Rosenwald Funds.
*Barnwell, Andrea D.; Evans, Walter O.; Buick, Kristen; Mooney, Amy; Benjamin, Tritobia Hayes. ''The Walter O. Evans collection of African American art.'' Seattle:
University of Washington Press
The University of Washington Press is an American academic publishing house. The organization is a division of the University of Washington, based in Seattle. Although the division functions autonomously, they have worked to assist the universi ...
. 2000. Features work by Alston.
*Berman, G. (1977). "The Walls of Harlem". ''Arts'' magazine, 52 (2), 122–126. Discusses the impact of 306 and related artists.
*Brigham, D.R. (2008
Breaking the 'chain of segregation': The Pyramid Club annual exhibitions.''International Review of African American Art'', 2–17. These exhibitions featured work by Charles Alston.
*Cameron, A. (1999). "Buenos Vecinos: African-American printmaking and the Taller de Gráfica Popular". ''Print Quarterly'', 16 (4), 356–367. The importance of 306 and the relationship these artists had to Latin American artists.
*Coker, G. G., & Jennings, C. L. (1994). ''The Harmon and Harriet Kelley Collection of African American art''. San Antonio: San Antonio Museum of Art. Exhibition catalog.
*Donaldson, J. R. (1974). ''Generation '306' – Harlem, New Yor''k. Northwestern University. Chicago: Northwestern University. Dissertation about 306 with input from Alston himself.
*Dunitz, R and Prigoff, J. ''Walls of heritage: walls of pride – African American murals.'' Fullbridge: Pomegranate Europe Ltd. 2001. Features Alston's murals.
*Glueck, Grace
"The best painter I can possibly be".''New York Times'', 1968. Interview with Alston.
*Henderson, H., & Coker, G. G. (1990). Charles Alston: artist and teacher. New York: Kenkeleba Gallery. Exhibition catalog.
*Hodges, Bill. Gallery. "Charles "Spinky" Alston: Works of Art from 1936–1969", 2004. New York exhibition catalogue.
*Langa, Helen. "Two antilynching art exhibitions: politicized viewpoints, racial perspectives, gendered constraints". ''American Art'', 1999. 13 (1), 10–39. Politically charged article about lynching related artworks, includes Alston.
*Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. (1996). ''African-American art: 20th century masterworks, III''. New York: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery. Exhibition catalog.
External links
A finding aid to the Charles Henry Alston Papers, 1924–1980 in the Archives of American Art, Smithsonian InstitutionAlston's work is used to teach children about family life and raceDigitized Works Progress Administration prints at Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture
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