The painting "Nightlife" by Archibald J. Motley

Nightlife was created in 1943 by Archibald J. Motley, a talented African American artist of the 1900s. Motley dedicated his work to the African American community, and he wanted his work to shed light on issues that he considered very important, like racial discrimination. From 1914-1918 he studied at the Art Institute of Chicago, which was one of the first schools in the United States to accept African American art students. Through this piece of art, Motley was able to show how African Americans used each other at a difficult time.

Motley wanted to be able to help change the world with his work. His passion for helping change the racial discrimination that took place at the time also influenced the way he painted his work. He understood that every detail matters, because it is important in general and how it affects the overall meaning of the work. This is probably why he was so careful with the way he painted his paintings, he wanted everything to be perfect so that his message was clear.

The formal characteristics of the painting “Nightlife” includes a vivid and dynamic landscape, where people drink, dance, employees drinks customers, customers sit and enjoy a drink, in a club. People seem to be enjoying each other’s company, but one of the clients that stands out is the person on the right side of the picture who looks like this by comparison. very funny. others. He sits with his hand on his right cheek and looks like he was having a cloudy day.

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This person stands out in a room full of people who socialize and enjoy each other, this guy does not allow himself to interact with other people.

The painting also features a bar with lights surrounding a shelf that includes a variety of wine bottles on the left side of the background. The colors included in the painting are purple, red, black and gray as they are used in the painting of comfort and hospitality. Other colors are also included: dark blue, yellow and a little green. There is also a part of the painting that includes a space at the bottom left of the painting, which gives an impression of hospitality because there is more room for people to dance.

When I look at the painting, I get the feeling that I feel like I want to get up and dance, because the purple background creates the mood of a smooth and cheerful dance floor. Also, when I see people on their feet, they enjoy the energy when they demonstrate how they demonstrate, how they demonstrate, on the dance floor and have a great time. It also gives a romantic feeling. Another reason it evokes a romantic feeling is the way people are dressed; everyone is either in suits or dresses. Also, how the lighting in the room is purple instead of bright white light.

Besides allowing me to dance and dance and the romantic feeling, it also gives me a sense of hope, because everyone allows themselves to enjoy the night. Even after a long day at work, or maybe even a sad day, everyone in the picture wanted to add a little fun to their day, so they probably went to the bar at the end of the day. It also instills a sense of hope, because even though these people were in the times. find a way to distract yourself from the negativity of the world at the time.

Motley’s goal in this picture was to show how African Americans in the Bronzeville neighborhood of Chicago were socially similar at the time. It was a very difficult time for African Americans. With this picture, he shows his audience how African Americans still had a good time even during a period when they were surrounded by so much negativity.

The Bronzeville neighborhood in Chicago is located on the south side of the city and was considered a safe place for African Americans in the early half of the 1900s. It grew as a district during the Great Migration, when African Americans moved north to southern Chicago from the southern United States. The area was inspired by the community due to all the talented artists and authors that were associated with Bronzeville. Nightlife depicts Bronzeville, she is a mater to the painting’s overall meaning and why it was important for Motley to accept it. He wanted to show that even though people in this historical period experienced a lot of struggle, racism and poverty, they were still able to spend the night away from home.

What helps convey Motley’s goal to his audience is optimism and the search for the good in life. The picture is filled with people interacting with each other, all dressed up to have fun. Even with the racism that they probably had to face and the hardships that arose as a result of the country being involved in World War II, they still managed to spend time and time on the positives.

Finding hope while struggling is what this picture is about. This is what he demonstrates, because instead of focusing on all the negative things, the people in the picture decide to have fun and find joy in times of difficulty. It is not easy to try to find positivity during difficult times, especially in the 1940s when these people were fighting for who they were as a result of racism. But in the end, they found a way to push it all aside for one night and allowed themselves to rejoice and hope that everything would be okay. This is what Motley wanted to do with his paintings, he wanted to be able to use them to encourage positivity and optimism.

Bibliography

1. Johnson, Jamie W. Teaching Materials: A Journey Through Art: Tracking the Great Migration in Three American Paintings. “Art Education 55, No. 1 (2002): 25-31. DOI: 10.2307 / 3194008.
2. Junior, Archibald John Motley. Night life. Art Institute of Chicago. American Art, January 1, 1970
3. Mooney, Amy M. and David S. Driskell. Archibald J. Motley Jr San Francisco: Garnet, 2004
4. Mooney, Amy M. “Motley, Archibald J., Jr.” Grove Art Online. February 23, 2011; Accessed 1 nov. 2019.
5. Shlabach, Elizabeth Schroeder. Along the Streets of Bronzeville: Literary Black Chicago
6. Landscape. Baltimore: University of Illinois Press, 2013. Accessed October 31, 2019. ProQuest Ebook Central.