Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey
Take a journey back to Ithaca and through Homer’s Greek epic, with the work of Romare Bearden. His work is featured as a part of a travelling exhibition.
The exhibition titled Romare Bearden: A Black Odyssey will feature 20 vibrant, richly composed collages from Bearden, titled Odysseus, which heavily played on characters and episodes from Homer’s epic. Bearden’s work also has an African-American theme layered behind every piece in the series.
Curated by Robert G. O’Meally, and coordinated by the Smithsonian Institution Traveling Exhibition Service, Bearden’s work is not only a reflection of the artists heavy influence as an American modernist, but also looks to pay homage to the classic Greek poet.
This theme looks to show how a travelling home is a part of a persons identity and persistent change, continual violence and disruptions of many kinds have rendered us a global citizenry of wandering exiles, seeking a place to call home.
The final leg of the travelling exhibition is currently being held at the Miriam and Ira D. Wallach Art Gallery at Columbia University in New York City, concluding on Tuesday 31 March 2015.
—
