Black Male: Representations of Masculinity in Contemporary American Art

by Thelma Golden

Softback in very good condition. Light shelf and handliing wear includes minor creasing to cover edges and corners, and tanning to pageblock leading into page edges. Within, pages are tightly bound, and content is clear and unmarked. CN

Genres: Nonfiction, Art

223 pages, Paperback

First published November 1, 1994

About the author

Thelma Golden is director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem.

Reviews

[Roberto · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very interesting and illuminating book to read. I have always noticed the lack of representation of minorities in the arts, worse yet, the overly stereotypical and racist representations and exploitation of such, Hollywood being the main culprit. The essays are intelligent and well structured, although a bit academic; however, it's imperative to learn the lexicon in order to identify, understand and talk about the issues. I like the way the artwork is discussed as it gives it a historical background drawing parallels between events and the artist's response. At times I had to put the book down and reflect on the horrible violence that black Americans and communities of color have to endure and still do to this day, as a minority myself and as an artist, I'm left to question how all this inequality and institutionalized racism, police brutality, incarceration, unemployment, nationalism, homophobia, xenophobia, misogyny, violence, and fear affects my life and informs my work.
While this book is but a light introduction to a whole horde of issues and subjects to explore, it does a good job in stimulating critical thinking and self-reflection. I highly recommend it, specially to fellow artist, students, and anybody whose privilege enables them to boast the misguided idea that racism ended once Obama was inaugurated our first black president.

[Anika Joseph-smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great read, very thorough analysis of archetypes.

[Gage Wente · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good, with a few standout essays, but could've used more (any) non-academic voices.

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

English 525: American Literature 1950 to Present - A literary museum. A collection of essays that meticulously examine black masculinity in everything from photos, sculptures, films, drag queens, and rap music.