Uploaded August 2021 | Updated September 2026, 22 hours ago
Melanee C. Harvey, assistant professor, department of art, Howard University. In a talk focusing on photographic examples of black church iconography from the 1920s through the 1940s, Melanee Harvey compares images of Washington, DC churches by Scurlock Studio photographers with Office of War Information photographs by Gordon Parks.
Delivered as part of the John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art, “American Communities, Then and Now,” held on February 8, 2019, Harvey’s talk describes the context and social function of these photographs, considering the repetition of visual themes used to represent African American religious spaces and practices. By deconstructing reductive visual tropes of the black church, Harvey finds diverse experiences within church experience and explores the diverse aesthetic traditions of black religious expression across denominations, regions and historical periods.
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The John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art is made possible by a generous grant from The Walton Family Foundation.
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#Art #NationalGalleryOfArt #Wilmerding #TheWaltonFamilyFoundation #GordonParks #RobinCosteLewis #MelaneeCHarvey #CharlesWhite #KellieJones #RichardJPowell #ArchibaldMotley #LauraWexler #DevinAllen #EricGottesman #RickLowe #MasequaMyers
Melanee C. Harvey, assistant professor, department of art, Howard University. In a talk focusing on photographic examples of black church iconography from the 1920s through the 1940s, Melanee Harvey compares images of Washington, DC churches by Scurlock Studio photographers with Office of War Information photographs by Gordon Parks.
Delivered as part of the John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art, “American Communities, Then and Now,” held on February 8, 2019, Harvey’s talk describes the context and social function of these photographs, considering the repetition of visual themes used to represent African American religious spaces and practices. By deconstructing reductive visual tropes of the black church, Harvey finds diverse experiences within church experience and explores the diverse aesthetic traditions of black religious expression across denominations, regions and historical periods.
Learn more about the National Gallery and the collection: nga.gov/collection.html
The John Wilmerding Symposium on American Art is made possible by a generous grant from The Walton Family Foundation.
Still haven’t subscribed to our YouTube channels?
National Gallery of Art ►►youtube.com/NationalGalleryofArtUS
National Gallery of Art Talks ►►youtube.com/NationalGalleryofArtTalks
ABOUT THE NATIONAL GALLERY OF ART
The National Gallery of Art serves the nation by welcoming all people to explore and experience art, creativity, and our shared humanity.
More National Gallery of Art Content:
Facebook: facebook.com/nationalgalleryofart
Twitter: twitter.com/ngadc
Instagram: instagram.com/ngadc
Pinterest: pinterest.com/ngadc/_created
E-News: nga.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe/post?u=e894a1837aca4526f7e8a11b3&id=2085ff9475
#Art #NationalGalleryOfArt #Wilmerding #TheWaltonFamilyFoundation #GordonParks #RobinCosteLewis #MelaneeCHarvey #CharlesWhite #KellieJones #RichardJPowell #ArchibaldMotley #LauraWexler #DevinAllen #EricGottesman #RickLowe #MasequaMyers
