Palmer hayden biography cbs

During the late s Hayden developed a consciously naive style, which represented various aspects of African-American life. One of the first paintings that heralded Hayden's new style was Midsummer Night in Harlem, , in which he effectively evoked the mood of Harlem's residents congregating outside to escape the heat inside the tenements.

Despite the flat forms and stylized figures, the compositional arrangement and treatment of perspective reveal Hayden's academic training. African-American art historian James Porter apparently misunderstood Hayden's objectives when he criticized Midsummer Night in Harlem as a talent gone astray," and compared the painting to "one of those billboards that once were plastered on public buildings to advertise black face minstrels.

In Hayden began painting the Ballad of John Henry series that would occupy him for the next ten years. The series comprises a group of twelve paintings depicting scenes from the life of the legendary African-American folk hero who inspired the ballad named after him. An exhibition of these paintings and others dealing with African-American folklore was held at the Countee Cullen Library in Harlem in From the late s until his death in , Hayden continued to paint subjects based on African-American themes, but in a more cosmopolitan manner than his earlier works.

Regenia A. Palmer Hayden, born Peyton Cole Hedgeman, began sketching at an early age. He moved to New York in his early twenties to pursue art and studied at several prominent schools, while working odd jobs to support himself. After six years of part-time art studies, Hayden won the first Gold Medal in Fine Arts for a marine watercolor from the Harmon Foundation, a nonprofit that supported African Americans in the arts.

While there, Hayden started to focus on images of African American life, rather than the marine scenes that first established his reputation as an artist. Although he exhibited his art regularly, art contemporaries criticized Hayden for creating what they perceived to be caricatures of African Americans. Today Hayden's body of work is recognized for its focus on the turmoil, and triumph, of the African American experience.

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Palmer hayden biography cbs

On his return to America, Hayden began working for the United States government. He worked for the U. Hayden took his inspiration from the environment around him, focusing on the African American experience. He tried to capture both rural life in the South, as well as urban backgrounds in New York City. Many of these urban paintings were centered in Harlem.

Boykin was also a painter who supported himself through janitorial work. This series consisted of 12 works and took 10 years to complete. In this painting, an African-American woman, man, and child are depicted in a crowded area which is made even more stifled by a canvas, cleaning supplies, and simple home decoration. All three are shown with thick, prominent lips, characteristic of caricatures of African people, and in the first draft, a bold portrait of Abraham Lincoln was hung on the wall.

The title of the painting, as well as the contrast of cleaning supplies and art material, imply a balance, such as the one that existed in Hayden's own life before he was recognized for his work. Inevitably, Hayden was scrutinized by both the black and white community as problematic for seemingly endorsing negative stereotypes in this painting as well.

Ten years after his initial visit in , Hayden returned to Paris briefly; little else is known about this visit. He was back in New York within a year and at the age of 50, he married Miriam Huffman. He decided in to begin a new project, which resulted in a three-year effort that culminated his most fulfilling works: The John Henry series. Any other explanations for why Hayden felt so strongly about John Henry and the series as a whole are unclear and unspecified, but are most likely linked to his proud ties to the African-American community.

In his elder years, Hayden continued to be active with his art, regularly being selected for prestigious awards and traveling between Paris and the United States to fuel his inspiration. An example of this was seen in , when Hayden wrote to William Booth, the Chairman of the City Commission on Human Rights, regarding the advocacy for an equal number of African Americans, Latinos, and white people on the board to prevent mistreatment fueled by prejudice and power.

Hayden died on February 18, , shortly after receiving a grant to depict African American soldiers between the world wars. Contents move to sidebar hide. Article Talk. Read Edit View history. Tools Tools. Download as PDF Printable version. In other projects. Wikimedia Commons Wikidata item. American painter — Widewater, Virginia. Early life [ edit ].

Artistic beginnings and Parisian travels [ edit ]. Return, racial commentary and stylistics [ edit ]. The aged Hayden [ edit ]. Works [ edit ]. Notes [ edit ]. Hayden papers, " , Archives of American Art, Smithsonian. Retrieved New York: Pantheon. ISBN International Review of African American Art. Art Bulletin.