Kellie Jones, Black West: Thoughts on Art in Los Angeles", 2011
"At mid-century, visual artists — like
William Pajaud, Curtis Tann, Betye Saar, Camille Billops, and even Charles White —began to create informal networks, producing exhibitions in churches and homes. White had relocated to Los Angeles in 1956, bringing with him a practice inspired by social realism and progressive politics. A younger generation of artists, those more fully a part of the Black Arts Movement, connected directly with White’s activist voice when he began teaching at Otis Art Institute in L.A. in 1965." In this paper, Jones discusses the black arts movement that emerges in the 60s and cites Charles White as an influential voice in the movement. It is interesting to note that a large amount of White's work is celebratory of the black experience.
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