“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. From the cave paintings of Lascaux to the vivid murals of Diego Rivera, visual art has served as a powerful narrative device. But few artists have so seamlessly woven the elements of time, memory, and history into their work as Romare Bearden. His collages are tapestries of African-American life, infused with themes of migration, jazz improvisation, folklore, and personal memory. They are both deeply intimate and widely universal, capturing moments of everyday life while speaking to the larger currents of Black history.

But what exactly makes Bearden’s work so compelling as a narrative form? How did he use art to tell stories, and why do those stories still resonate today? To understand Bearden’s unique storytelling approach, we must examine not only his technique but also the cultural traditions he drew from and the artistic movements he helped shape.

Collage as a Narrative Medium: A Story in Fragments

At the heart of Bearden’s storytelling is collage—a medium that, by its very nature, speaks to the fragmented yet interconnected nature of memory and history. Bearden’s collages are not seamless; they embrace discontinuity, layering images from magazines, newspapers, photographs, and painted elements to create compositions that feel dynamic and alive.

This technique is particularly powerful because it mirrors how we experience and recall stories. Memories are not linear; they are stitched together, interwoven with emotion, sensation, and history. Bearden’s collages mimic this process—figures constructed from mismatched elements, perspectives that defy realism, faces made from multiple sources—all reflecting the way stories are reconstructed in our minds.

A gallery view of Romare Bearden’s “The Block,” highlighting its large-scale six-panel collage. Visitors take in the rich textures and layered narratives that bring Harlem’s streets to life through Bearden’s masterful storytelling.

Example: “The Block” (1971)

One of Bearden’s most iconic works, The Block, epitomizes his ability to build a complete narrative from fragmented elements. The six-panel piece depicts a Harlem neighborhood, but instead of presenting a straightforward cityscape, Bearden gives us glimpses into multiple stories at once. Through windows and doorways, we see children playing, a funeral procession, a barbershop, and intimate domestic moments.

Each segment of The Block functions almost like a scene from a film or a chapter in a novel. It’s not one story—it’s many stories unfolding simultaneously. This panoramic view of Harlem is both a tribute and a documentary, capturing the vibrancy, struggles, and communal bonds that define Black urban life.

But beyond realism, The Block is also a metaphor for how identity is shaped. Just as a neighborhood is built from different homes and businesses, personal and cultural identity is formed from disparate yet interconnected experiences. Bearden’s Harlem is not just a physical place—it’s a living memory, shaped by the people who pass through it.

The Influence of Oral Traditions, Jazz, and Folklore

Bearden’s storytelling was not only visual—it was musical, poetic, and deeply rooted in African-American oral traditions.

Jazz and Blues: The Sound of Storytelling in Bearden’s Work

Bearden often spoke of his work in musical terms, describing collage as akin to jazz improvisation. His creative process mirrored the way jazz musicians riff on a melody—taking a familiar form and reshaping it into something new.

“You put down one color,” Bearden once said, “and it calls for an answer.”

This call-and-response structure is a hallmark of jazz and blues, and it’s also central to Bearden’s art. His collages contain visual rhythms—repeating motifs, layered textures, and unexpected juxtapositions that create a sense of movement and spontaneity.

In works like Of the Blues, we see the fusion of sound and image, with figures playing instruments, their bodies and instruments merging with bursts of color and pattern. The lines between the musician and the music blur, reinforcing the idea that art—like jazz—is an immersive, improvisational experience.

Folklore and African-American Mythology

Bearden’s work also drew from African-American folklore, particularly in its use of recurring symbols and mythical archetypes. His characters often embody larger-than-life qualities, reflecting the oral storytelling traditions where history and myth merge.

Take his 1964 collage Conjur Woman, which features a mystical Black woman at the center, radiating an aura of power. The conjure woman—a figure drawn from Southern folklore—is both healer and seer, representing resilience, wisdom, and the spiritual traditions of the African diaspora.

Bearden frequently revisited such mythic figures, using them to explore themes of survival, transformation, and resistance. In doing so, he ensured that these cultural traditions were not forgotten but rather reimagined for new generations.

Trains, Journeys, and the Migration Narrative

A recurring theme in Bearden’s work is movement—both literal and metaphorical. His 1964 collage The Train is a striking meditation on migration, a theme central to African-American history.

The Great Migration: A Story Told Through Collage

Between 1916 and 1970, millions of Black Americans left the rural South in search of better opportunities in northern cities. This migration reshaped American society, but it also created a sense of dislocation—a feeling of being caught between two worlds.

The Train captures this tension. The figures in the collage are depicted through fragmented imagery, their faces composed of overlapping pieces—symbolizing the complex, sometimes painful process of leaving one’s past behind. The train itself becomes a metaphor for change, progress, and the uncertainties of the future.

This theme appears again in works like The Prevalence of Ritual, where characters are often depicted in transit—whether walking, riding, or floating between realms. For Bearden, migration wasn’t just a historical event—it was a psychological experience, shaping the way people saw themselves and their place in the world.

How Contemporary Artists Continue Bearden’s Legacy

Bearden’s approach to storytelling has left an indelible mark on contemporary art. Many artists today continue his tradition of using collage, cultural memory, and improvisation to tell complex narratives.

• Kerry James Marshall builds on Bearden’s legacy by creating monumental paintings that explore the history and representation of Black life.
• Mickalene Thomas uses collage and rhinestones to challenge traditional depictions of Black femininity, much as Bearden used mixed media to redefine identity.
• Lorna Simpson merges photography and collage to explore themes of race, gender, and history in ways that echo Bearden’s fragmented yet deeply cohesive storytelling.

Beyond visual art, Bearden’s influence extends into theater, literature, and film. August Wilson’s acclaimed play The Piano Lesson was directly inspired by Bearden’s painting of the same name, demonstrating how his work continues to inspire new storytelling forms.

The Enduring Power of Storytelling in Art

Romare Bearden’s work reminds us that storytelling is not a single act—it’s a process of layering, revisiting, and reinterpreting. His collages are not just representations; they are invitations—to look closer, to piece together meaning, and to find connections between past and present.

Bearden understood that identity is never fixed—it is always in motion, shaped by history, community, and personal experience. And in that sense, his work is timeless.

What story do you see in Bearden’s work?

We invite you to explore Bearden’s legacy for yourself. Visit an exhibition, browse the Foundation’s digital archive, or create your own collage inspired by his vision. Share your thoughts using #RomareBearden, and join the conversation about how art shapes our cultural identity.

Because as Bearden showed us, stories aren’t just told—they are built, layered, and lived.