Collecting art may seem daunting to some but Graves + Mallett Art Solutions maintains there is nothing to fear. Starting your art collection should be a pleasurable undertaking. Why? First, we each have experienced attraction whether it is the sleek line of a luxury car, the fit of a well tailored garment or the silhouette of that special person. With attraction comes resonance. You may react with a smile or an audible sigh. When art appeals to you, you can feel a connection. Collecting art is very personal and your selections should be largely based on what moves you. GMAS will provide you with tools that will help you become an astute collector.
African Americans have a rich history of expression in the visual and literary arts. Throughout the world, Museums have entire wings devoted to antiquities from the African continent. African American artists of the late 18th and 19th centuries include portrait artist, Joshua Johnton, landscape artists, Robert S. Duncanson and Edward M. Bannister, sculptor Edmonia Lewis and figurative painter Henry Ossawa Tanner. The 20th Century ushered in a new activism. Philosopher, scholar and author, Dr. Alain Locke encouraged visual artists and writers to redress the wrongs of Jim Crow while exploring their connections to African in their work. As newly minted social activists, writers Zora Neale Hurston, Langston Hughes and artists Aaron Douglas, Hale A. Woodruff, Richard Barthe, Laura Wheeler Waring , Archibald Motely, Augusta Savage and Sargent Johnson gave voice to the masses through their work in the early 20th century.
One hundred years after the Harlem Renaissance, African American art must continue to serve as a guide during a dark time, a cultural legacy documenting the current state of affairs while transforming hearts and minds. Recognizing that art can transform the world while increasing the economic bottom line of self supporting creatives, GMAS encourages individual and corporate collection building. We are here to serve artists and collectors.
