2nd floor - Lounge h3
Inspired in part by the writings of Marcus Garvey, Kwame Brathwaite co-founded the African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) which popularized the phrase "Black Is Beautiful" in the late 1950s and early 1960s. "Black Is Beautiful" is one of the most important political and cultural ideas of the twentieth century.
Kwame Brathwaite's photographs were specifically intended to shape the course of American visual discourse. His photographs highlight how artistic and political vision can influence change in popular culture and how popular culture can influence culture in general.
"The Miss Natural Standard of Beauty Contest" at the 1961 Garvey Day Celebration was a catalytic moment for the brothers who saw clearly that the same models who had eschewed makeup and worn their hair "natural" for the contest would, the following Sunday (when they came to pick up their prize), have straightened their hair so that they could feel comfortable returning to school, work, and their daily lives. Brathwaite and the other AJASS members believed that African Americans should feel good about themselves and be proud to display their natural beauty.
Brathwaite’s work has recently appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue, New York Post, New York Magazine, National Geographic, Aperture, and other publications. His works are also found in major Musems across the United States. Brathwaite retired in 2018 and lives in New York, NY with his wife Sikolo Brathwaite.
Material : Archival pigment print, printed in 2018
