Thank you very much for uploading the video. I've never seen this, but, despite the interviewer's occasional (and, Fine, relatively subtle --New York, four decades ago), but persistent racist subtext, Romy is as brilliant as you would expect. What moved me to write was his explication of the main effect that Notre Dame in Paris had on him. Bearden's contrast of this with the unforgiving verticality of skyscrapers (New York or elsewhere) is seriously resonant. I've had occasion to observe the same dissonance, and to speculate on where it comes from. Gothic cathedrals aim toward grandeur, but on a human scale. I need to believe that this is was integral to the intended, theologically informed esthetic. Remember that in the 13th century, Europeans were still centuries away from inventing racism in any recognizably modern ideological form. They were still going on crusade, getting their butts kicked, and coming home. And in Spain and Sicily, there was still a live tradition of Christian rulers not only writing and speaking Arabic, but encouraging the preservation and dissemination of all kinds of Arabic and Hebrew literature in their own contexts. ...This was also before the Inquisition. ...I need to believe that the kinds of dehumanization we see so routinely today are also, in a wider historical context, recent inventions.
Exactly. This woman is horrible and full of assumptions but also clearly HIGHLIGHTS the overwhelming evidence of skewed unearned privilege in the world (especially the Art World).
I felt as if the interviewer wanted to tell his story for him and had certain expectations of how she wanted him to answer the questions she was asking....but he was having none of it. lol In a very gentle and clever way he sort of made fun of her. I was familiar with and love his work but did not realize how funny or charming he was. I do have to take exception though to your comment about 13th century europe lacking in racism....certainly for Jews living in Europe this was not the case. Crusaders killed thousands of them as they made there way to the Holy land...and jews were always subject to certain taxes and laws preventing them from going into most occupations.
i had to pick an artist from the harlem renn for an english project, and i picked him. i love all of his work and he seemed like he was a pretty cool, sweet man
He's added so much to my process of self expression. I love studying him. His collages tell a story. He makes me feel fearless.
What a delightful man.
Thank you very much for uploading the video. I've never seen this, but, despite the interviewer's occasional (and, Fine, relatively subtle --New York, four decades ago), but persistent racist subtext, Romy is as brilliant as you would expect.
What moved me to write was his explication of the main effect that Notre Dame in Paris had on him. Bearden's contrast of this with the unforgiving verticality of skyscrapers (New York or elsewhere) is seriously resonant. I've had occasion to observe the same dissonance, and to speculate on where it comes from.
Gothic cathedrals aim toward grandeur, but on a human scale. I need to believe that this is was integral to the intended, theologically informed esthetic. Remember that in the 13th century, Europeans were still centuries away from inventing racism in any recognizably modern ideological form. They were still going on crusade, getting their butts kicked, and coming home. And in Spain and Sicily, there was still a live tradition of Christian rulers not only writing and speaking Arabic, but encouraging the preservation and dissemination of all kinds of Arabic and Hebrew literature in their own contexts. ...This was also before the Inquisition.
...I need to believe that the kinds of dehumanization we see so routinely today are also, in a wider historical context, recent inventions.
Exactly. This woman is horrible and full of assumptions but also clearly HIGHLIGHTS the overwhelming evidence of skewed unearned privilege in the world (especially the Art World).
I felt as if the interviewer wanted to tell his story for him and had certain expectations of how she wanted him to answer the questions she was asking....but he was having none of it. lol In a very gentle and clever way he sort of made fun of her. I was familiar with and love his work but did not realize how funny or charming he was.
I do have to take exception though to your comment about 13th century europe lacking in racism....certainly for Jews living in Europe this was not the case. Crusaders killed thousands of them as they made there way to the Holy land...and jews were always subject to certain taxes and laws preventing them from going into most occupations.
A wonderful interview ... thanks for posting!!!
"Inside New York's Art World: ROMARE BEARDEN with host, Barbaralee Diamonstein-Spielvogel" [1979]
LOVE KING ROMARE BEARDEN!! Thank you for this post!
Beautiful interview...
i had to pick an artist from the harlem renn for an english project, and i picked him.
i love all of his work and he seemed like he was a pretty cool, sweet man
I met him in NYC and Brooklyn. Newly done and under stated live forever dream on in all these days.
The Master Of Collage
i got him for my african american project!
Art is war
Anyone caught the name of the writer he compared to Wilde?
James Baldwin.
way too short of an interview