What was Black Power all about? To get a better picture, pop over to the Tate Modern’s latest exhibition. Soul Of A Nation: Art In the Age of Black Power is a retrospective unravelling how America’s Civil Rights Movement and the birth of Black Power played into African American art. Framed from 1963 to 1983 – the exhibition embeds itself into the explosive years where issues over race and identity infiltrated into music, literature, sport and art. Beginning in 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights movement and dreams of integration, the exhibition documents the path to more radicalised calls for Black Power.
Newly Independent African nations prompted rallying cries for African American pride, autonomy and solidarity: these are manifested in the exhibition’s vibrant paintings, revolutionary photography, powerful murals and sculptures made with Black hair and melted records.
Retrace the emergence of black feminism and the debate over a unique Black photography aesthetic. See the fierce faith and beret-wearing swag of The Black Pathers in full swing and work featuring civil right heroes Martin Luther King, Malcom X and Angela Davis. With over 150 works, by over 60 artists – this is a rare chance to see how Black Art was redefined during these tumultuous times. As The Black Lives Matter movement and hip-hop culture continues to thrive, this is an unmissable exhibition taking us back to Black Power’s roots.
