Jazzy Night Clouds : African American Music

The location that my African American art would be nicely located along the stairwell at the side entrance of the E building. My intending audience would be travelers trying to reach the second floor. Now there two intended audiences, employees and visitors of the Steinway Piano archive and performers and audiences that watch them. People who work in the archive or ones who are visiting it are looking the art and can give them a visual sense of Steinway piano's not only being used for classic music but also for Jazz.

My theme for my art show is African American artists creating pieces that affiliate with Jazz. The art work i found was pretty dark and gave me the feeling of a cozy Jazz club. I could imagine people dressed up dancing or couples cuddled up at their table in the corner just enjoying the music. This is why i choose to name my art show Jazzy Night Clouds. The idea behind my show was from visiting PS1 MoMA. Some of the first pieces i seen was African American based and i got really inspired and attached to two pieces that really spoke to me and made me realize how much i love our culture and despite what we've been through how strong we came out also how beautiful we really are. Im also a big fan of Jazz as well as music in general so when it was a no-brainer that i put the two concepts together to create Jazzy Night Clouds. This art show is important in general and to me because African Americans have excluded from so much, being creative, voting, having a decent job etc. I want to show African Americans expressing themselves freely through beautiful art.

I chose 5 pieces of art named, Billy Holiday (1915-59)  By Karria Mucherera,

Lavender Jazz (2007) By Karria Mucherera,

In The Grove aslo by Karria Mucherea,

Bass & Sax by Ikahi Beckford

Lastly Dance 1 (2000) by Bayo Iribhogbe.

I chose 5 pieces of art named, Billy Holiday (1915-59) By Karria Mucherera, Lavender Jazz (2007) By Karria Mucherera, In The Grove aslo by Karria Mucherea, Bass & Sax by Ikahi Beckford and lastly Dance 1 (2000) by Bayo Iribhogbe. Billie Holiday by Kerria Muncherea. I chose this art work because it went along with the theme of my show nicely. Billie was a famous Jazz singer. I love the way the light is hitting her face as if she's on stage at that moment getting ready to sing. Her hair is slicked up and accompanied by followers on the right side of her hair (her left) I assume because when i picture old Jazz singers, having flowers in their hair comes to mind. The piece is very naturalistic and idealized. She pretty much perfect without a blemish. Lavender Jazz by Karria Mucherera. I chose this art piece not only for obvious reasons but also for the its simplicity. There's no one else but a man playing a bass and a woman sitting on top of a piano. She looks as if she's being serenaded by the way she's looking at the man while he intensely into playing his instrument. Another meaning behind the fact that their alone could also be that she is really enjoying the music and could be attracted to the man to where she wishes she were alone with him enjoying the music or as if she is alone with him already. In The Grove by Karria Mucherea. I chose In The Groove because i actually like that you can only see the mans face, his hand and his instrument. His facial expression looks as if he's deeply into his music and is rather enjoying it. He wears a wedding ring which could suggest that he's older and to be older and still enjoying what you do is a beautiful thing to me. Bass & Sax by Ikahi Beckford. I chose this piece because the colors pop out at me and i found it interesting how people became the instrument. This piece non representation yet representational at the same time. You can obviously see that there are instruments but the fact that they have arms like a human would but not actually being one causes me to thing it is non representational. Dance 1 by Bayo Iribhogbe. I chose this piece because it made me think of the Jazz clubs having people dancing aroumd, having a good time. The piece is very non representational. You get no real sense of people actually dancing since theres so much movement in the painting that they kind of get lost. The primary colors definitely popped out at me making me like the painting even more. The 5 pieces are chosen because obviously they went with my theme of African American music. Also i wanted to recreate the scene of a Jazz performance with the pieces. Billie Holiday being the singer that night. In The Groove being a man intensely into his instrument playing from his soul. Lavender Jazz, having someone be so captivated by the sounds of the music and Dance 1 being the people dancing and enjoying the music. All these pieces make up a Jazz Club Scene for me which is why i chose them all specifically.