Throughout the twentieth century, African American artists have made profound contributions to the development of art in the United States. From artists of the Harlem Renaissance to the Black Arts movement to those working today, artists of African descent have fundamentally altered the ways we perceive race, identity, and cultural hybridity.
Toward the end of the century, contemporary artists rejected the singular point of view of a movement or style and began to treat art as a form of critical inquiry. Contemporary art has since assumed a multiplicity of forms to express varied experiences.
Modern and contemporary art at the High Museum provides a broad overview of the art of our time with outstanding examples of work by seminal artists, those just entering the canon, and emerging artists. The collection prominently features multiple works by artists such as Radcliffe Bailey, Alex Katz, and Ellsworth Kelly as well as a growing collection of significant individual works by artists including Michaël Borremans, Alfredo Jaar, Anish Kapoor, KAWS, Julie Mehretu, Judy Pfaff, Sarah Sze, and Kara Walker, with a special focus on work by African American artists.
