By Julia Sheth
Arts Editor
The “Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist” exhibit, on display at the Los Angeles County Museum of the Art, creates a vivid and lively atmosphere through Motley’s colorful and energetic paintings.
This exhibit is a display of the work of Archibald Motley, a prominent artist during the Harlem Renaissance who captured the energy of African American life throughout the Jazz Age. It follows Motley through his entire career and is divided between the display of Motley’s more imaginative jazz-styled paintings and his realistic portraits.
Although some of Motley’s pieces are more memorable than others, they all possess a high level of vitality. Motley is able to accurately portray African American life during the mid-20th century, often times showing people dancing to or playing jazz music. He does this while still adding many expressive elements to his paintings, such as whimsical and unreal backgrounds, including one painting where the floor depicted melts into the wall with bright and saturated colors.
Additionally, Motley successfully exaggerates the lively personality of African American life during the Jazz Age. Through his artwork, Motley embellishes the lives of African Americans in the various societies that he visited by adding overly imaginative elements to their depiction.
The LACMA exhibit displaying Archibald Motley’s work is a flawless display and is appealing to the eye, perfectly portraying the energy in Motley’s work.
The exhibit is on display at LACMA, with tickets being free for students who are 17 and under. For those over 17, tickets range from $10 to $15.
Leave a Reply