Jacob Lawrence

Jacob Lawrence (September 7, 1917–June 9, 2000) was an African-American painter.

Quotes

I try to point out to them there's less chance of your becoming just illustrative when you become involved with the plastic elements of painting. So in short this is how I try to adapt it to teaching. You don't see a head as a head, but you see it as a form and as a shape. And you can work as realistically as you care to. But if you just see these things for what they are the chances are you will become more illustrative and you will never develop from this, you know; move out from this…
- On how he defines “illustrative” artwork in “Oral history interview with Jacob Lawrence, 1968 October 26” (Smithsonian Archive of American Art)

…My early beginnings, as most Negroes in the United States, has been the Negro experience. This is all I knew at one time was the Negro experience. My whole background, Negro family, Negro community, everything was Negro. So I think it was natural that I would use this symbol for my expression, you see…
- On using Black subject matters in “Oral history interview with Jacob Lawrence, 1968 October 26” (Smithsonian Archive of American Art)

‘The migrants kept coming’ is a refrain of triumph over adversity. If it rings true for you today, then it must still strike a chord in our American experience.
- On the Great Migration of African Americans in “Jacob Lawrence on How to be an Artist” in Artsy (2019 Jul 24)

When the subject is strong, simplicity is the only way to treat it.
- On his philosophy regarding art subjects in “Jacob Lawrence on How to be an Artist” in Artsy (2019 Jul 24)

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