Exhibition – Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power

Soul of a Nation exhibited works from various artists who focussed on the peak of the civil rights movement of 1963. Artists exhibited included Faith Ringgold, Elizabeth Catlett, and Noah Purifoy; the mediums of these works varied from sculpture, paintings, and installations, all expressing the same emotions for a drastic change within American culture. Major figures, such as Martin Luther King Junior and Malcom X were depicted throughout. There were a variety of pieces which captured my attention in this exhibition, for example, ‘American People Series No.20: Die’ by Faith Ringgold which depicts the brutality enforced upon black people by white supremacists during events such as the 1964 Harlem race riot and the 1967 Newark riots. Noah Purifoy’s piece ‘Untitled’ – 1970 (wood, leather, brass, and copper) encompasses traditions from African and Native American societies, as well as wanting to suggest an alternative to the way objects were made in an American capitalist society. The piece uses everyday objects, such as Ghanaian spoons which symbolise fertility dolls that Asante women carry on their backs. Overall, Soul of a Nation encompasses a multitude of interpretations of the Civil Rights movement in a respectful and powerful manor; each artist had their own space to flourish regardless of the medium in which they worked in. There was also a nice variety of types of work within the exhibition, rather than solely exhibiting one practice.