Romare Bearden was one of the most accomplished African-American painters of the 20th century, and he was also a brilliant musician. As an artist, he became best known for his collages, which he created largely from painted paper, magazine clippings and bits of fabric.
Bearden’s art is jam-packed with references to history, contemporary social issues, music, people and places.
Take a look at some of his work, especially “The Block” and “Three Folk Musicians”. Then make your own Bearden-style collage:
Print out some black-and-white photos of yourself;
Think about composition and colour. What message are you trying to convey? Are you going to show things that you like, interests that you have, things that you dream about, how you like playing?
Rip some interesting pages out of magazines, newspapers and old books;
Search your craft boxes for old pieces of wallpaper and colourful paper cuttings;
Then start ripping, cutting and sticking to your heart’s content!
