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 Ernest Crichlow, distinguished African American master, needs no introduction -- especially with colleagues such as Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Jacob Lawrence and Charles Alston. In 1930 Ernest Crichlow joined the Harlem Artists Guild under the tutelage of Augusta Savage. He began exploring the field of fine art and integrating personal, social, and communal commentary into his work. This was a brisk change since his formal training was in illustration at New York University and the Arts Student League. "Highlights of his long career include a one man show as guest artist at the Afro-American Artists Museum in Philadelphia in 1969 and exhibitions at the Boston Museum of Fine Art, Newark Museum, New York World's Fair and the Institute of Modern Art, Boston. He was one of 10 Black Artists from the National Conference of Artists honored at the White House during the Carter Administration."
Ernest Crichlow's subject matters have captured a realist vantage point of American life. As a visual storyteller, Crichlow's renderings capsulate a veracity moment in time whether it's a depiction of a child reading, a riveting flash into civil rights history or a pristine portrait. Crichlow's passion for the arts still resonates into the 21st century as he completes his recent lithographs titled "New Dreams" and " Evening Thoughts."
In "New Dreams," the foreground depicts an elegant silhouette of a young girl gazing off to the left infused over a grainy scene of an older women laboring in a field. The juxtaposition of these two compositions leads viewers to contemplate the progression of African American lifestyles, in particular women. "New Dreams" subtle execution is coupled with a pertinent stark message of growth and direction similar to Crichlow's earlier works.
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"New Dreams" is strikingly reminiscent of Crichlow's "White Fence," 1967, featured in the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture collection. A young Anglo-Saxon girl gazes directly at the viewer chewing on her fingertips -- possibly frantic and even afraid of what's happening around her. Directly behind her is a white fence that encases five young boys of African descent. They are looking off into the distance with a presence of doubt and lack of understanding. Crichlow's "White Fence" created such a romanticized realism out of America's harsh segregated existence during the 1960's.
Known for his keen painterly style, poignant messages, and versatility, Crichlow's newest print "Evening Thoughts" allows viewers to dream. He allows viewers to head off in as many directions they want as they engage in the piece. One could dance in the textured patterns found in the woman's clothing, snap their fingers to the beats found in the sky, or simply gaze out the window directly behind the central figure. "Evening Thoughts" is a layered lithograph that combines a soft whimsical woman with a vibrant palette.
Crichlow's ability to capture a quiet moment shares his intentions and intimately reveals his subject's emotions' in one glance. This raw engaging power leads viewers to be caught in the same moment of introspection as his subject matters and become hypnotized into pondering his or her own actions, dreams and traditions.
-- Quashelle Curtis
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