Recovering Romare: Dr. Camara Holloway on Building the Bearden Catalogue Raisonné
When it comes to documenting an artist’s life’s work, few tools are more powerful, or more painstaking, than a catalogue raisonné. But for many African American artists, these essential scholarly resources have been few and far between. That’s exactly why the launch of The Romare Bearden Catalogue Raisonné Project, the
Art History’s Digital Future: Behind the Scenes with the Bearden Catalogue Raisonné Team
What does it take to map the creative legacy of one of America’s greatest artists, and share it with the world? For the Wildenstein Plattner Institute (WPI), the answer isn’t just scholarship. It’s innovation. It’s collaboration. And above all, it’s access. With the release of the first installment of the
What Is a Catalogue Raisonné—and Why Does Bearden Deserve One?
Unveiling the Blueprint of an Artist's Legacy Imagine attempting to piece together the vast and intricate puzzle of an artist's life work. It sounds like a daunting task…at least without a comprehensive guide. For scholars, collectors, and art enthusiasts, there is just such a guide; it’s known as a catalogue
Bearden and the Black Interior
What Stories Do Our Rooms Tell? A kitchen table, a worn armchair, the steady hum of conversation in a barbershop. These are not the traditional subjects of Western art history. Yet for Romare Bearden, they were essential. Bearden’s work transforms private, domestic Black life into a canvas worthy of profound
The World According to Collage: Bearden’s Visual Philosophy
Piecing Together a New Reality What if the act of cutting and pasting images could challenge societal norms and reconstruct cultural identities? For Romare Bearden, collage was not merely an artistic technique—it was a profound method of storytelling and a tool for social commentary. In an age fractured by displacement,
Bearden and the Shape of Jazz to Come
Can You Hear a Painting Swing? What does a Romare Bearden collage sound like? To some, it’s the cool syncopation of Miles Davis, the layered storytelling of a John Coltrane solo, or the staccato snap of Ella Fitzgerald’s phrasing. Bearden didn’t just love jazz—he lived it, translated it, and reimagined
Romare Bearden & the Power of Community in Art
Can Art Build a Movement? What role does art play in shaping communities? Is it simply a reflection of the world, or can it actively transform society? For Romare Bearden, art was never just about individual expression—it was about collective action, dialogue, and social change. A towering figure in 20th-century
Romare Bearden in Paris – A Transatlantic Legacy
A City That Transforms Artists What is it about Paris that transforms artists? From James Baldwin to Josephine Baker, many Black creatives have crossed the Atlantic and found a city that saw them as artists first—before race, before nationality, before anything else. Romare Bearden was no exception. In 1950, after
Romare Bearden: The Art of Storytelling Through Collage
“The artist is a kind of enchanter in time.” — Romare Bearden Romare Bearden’s collage art is not just an arrangement of colors, textures, and forms—it’s a living, breathing story. Art has long been a vessel for storytelling, a way for civilizations to pass down their histories, struggles, and triumphs.
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