art by Emma Amos is not black or white

In a 1968 interview conducted for the Smithsonian Archives of American Art, Emma Amos was quoted as saying, “I don’t think it’s important the color of the artist. I think the color of his work is important.

“But this doesn’t seem to work. It really doesn’t. Everyone sees your color,” she continued.

More than 40 years later, Amos’ solo exhibit in Exeter demonstrates a harmonious balance between racial integration in the arts and recognition of the unique strength and beauty in race.

“Emma Amos: Heroes and Folk” will be on display at Phillip Exeter Academy’s Lamont Gallery through Jan. 23. An opening reception will be held on Friday, Jan. 8, from 6:30 to 8 p.m., and a gallery talk is planned for 10 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 9. The exhibition includes paintings, installations, prints, woven works, and mostly combinations thereof.

In her artist’s statement, Amos says, “I hope that the subjects of my paintings dislodge, question, and tweak prejudices, rules, and notions relating to art and who makes it, poses for it, shows it, and buys it.
The work reflects my investigations into the otherness often seen by white male artists, along with the notion of desire, the dark body versus the white body, racism, and my wish to provoke more thoughtful ways of thinking and seeing. Yes, race, sex, class, and power privileges exist in the world of art,” she continues.

Amos goes on to say that she’s pleased when her art initiates memory and provokes thought and that she hopes to blur the lines separating black and white artists and their supporters.

Born in Georgia in 1938, Amos began painting and drawing at a young age and was considered something of a child prodigy. Though her family was middle class and her parents had college educations, her grandfathers had been slaves. Atlanta was still segregated when she was growing up, and she was inspired by the people who tried to change that.   

Her large and colorful hanging installations are an immediate draw to the eye and leave a lasting impression. This particular collection, with several portraits, pays homage to people who seem to have influenced or impacted the artist, from Pablo Picasso to Michael Jackson.

The wall hangings are often of mixed media with paintings at the focal point surrounded by secondary images that bring more meaning to the center one, all enclosed by a fabric border.

With pieces such as “Thank You Jesus for Paul Robertson,” it’s apparent that Amos has embraced a celebration of her culture, even when she’s being somewhat irreverent. “Thank You Jesus” stands out not only for its humor and honesty, but for the way it shows off the artist’s mastery of figure studies. The nude, black male model is painted with the same strong lines and shadows of the black and white photos from which his image was rendered, but creatively composed with a sketched background that gives a lifelike dimension.    

Another highlight is two paintings dedicated to Billie Holiday. One poetically recalls the memory of a mother who made Holiday’s gloves. It reads: “‘I loved your father,’ she’d say. Then she’d laugh and blow out blue smoke toward the ceiling. ‘But I was crazy about Billie.’” The other shows Holiday onstage, her curvy backside toward the viewer and a crocheted glove on her hand, and small glittering pieces in the paint.   

Other paintings depict both black and white people, together and sometimes intertwined, reflecting her goal of integration. A few of these have cutouts attached and dangling off the canvas, and it’s not immediately clear whether they are falling away or apart from the otherwise peaceful picture.   

Amos graduated from Antioch University, then earned a degree in etching from the London Central School of Art. One year later, after moving to New York and becoming a teaching assistant, Amos held her first solo art exhibition in Atlanta in 1960. She began creating rugs for a renowned American textile designer and weaver.

In 1964, Amos enrolled in art education from New York University’s graduate school. She became the youngest and only female member invited to join a group of esteemed black artists known as Spiral.

After Amos earned her master’s degree, she began focusing on sewing, weaving, quilting and doing illustrations for Sesame Street magazine. Eight years later, she began teaching at the Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts. Then, from 1980 to 2008, she taught art at Rutgers University.

Her work has been shown around the world and is included in several art collections, including at the Museum of Modern Art. She received the 2004 Lifetime Achievement Award from the Women’s Caucus for Art/College Art Association, and the 2002 James Van Der Zee Award.

The Lamont Gallery is located at 11 Tan Lane, Exeter, 603-777-3461, www.exeter.edu.