Lois Mailou Jones

1. Lois Mailou Jones

2. 2 1 • At Howard University • Thomas, her father • Lois Mailou Jones, 1936 • Lois and husband Verginaud 4 3

3. Loïs Mailou Jones (1905-1998) was an African-American artist. • She produced a diverse body of artwork over her 70-year career. • Worked in textile design and Impressionist-style paintings, Haitian- and African-inspired watercolors and paintings. • Jones’s work embodied various styles of art prevalent during the 20th century. Street Vendors, Haiti - 1978

4. Her works were mostly inspired by her experiences with discrimination, and the aftermath of the Harlem Renaissance. In 1931, Lois Mailou Jones went to Paris. In Paris, she attended the Academe Julian, where she studied painting.

5. Harlem Renaissance Harlem Renaissance (HR) is the name given to the period from the end of World War I and through the middle of the 1930s Depression, during which a group of talented African-American writers, thinkers and artists produced a sizable contribution to American culture. The Great Migration which congregated black populations in northern cities like Chicago and New York in unprecedented numbers. The concentration, in New York city, occurred on the upper west side, in Harlem. 

6. Displays poorness and everyday sullen life of a southerner Jones shows a troubled emotion because she reveals separation among society This creates a gloomy feeling within me due to unfortunate ways of life for some people This brings attention to the ways of life for poor African Americans and lack of equal opportunity Negro Shack 1930

7. Her most popular works were a great number of oils and watercolors. These works carefully, and skillfully depict aspects of African masks, textiles, and figures. Lois Mailou Jones was one of the first female African-American painters to depict African imagery. Les Fetiches was completed during her stay in Paris. The accurate representation of the artifacts is a result of her first hand study of African masks. Les Fetiches is a blend of spirit and a stirring depiction ancestry. Les Fetiches 1938

8. Ubi Girl from Tai Region combines motifs (objects forming a distinct design element) from different regions of Africa Combines abstraction with realism and design with painting. “By combining the motifs from various regions of Africa, I try to explore on canvas a sense of the underlying unity of all Africa.” Ubi Girl from Tai Region 1972

9. Things to look for in Ubi Girl from Tai Region: • Painted face: Many West African cultures welcome young men and women into adulthood following elaborate initiation ceremonies. Colours signify various cultural values in West Africa. White, for instance, often signifies purity. • Geometric shape motif: Elaborate design motifs adorn a variety of West African textiles. • Mask profile: Masks are one of the most prominent art forms in Africa. Masks are created for functional purposes such as religious ceremonies or ritual performances.

10. A simple flat geometric composition relates to the textile designs of west African textiles. Patterns are ordered, the colours are flat and bold. The limited palette of Red, Blue, Black and Yellow helps unite the different sections together. Moon Masque mixed media, 1971

11. Nigeria 1971 - Watercolours Combines pattern with 3D representations of African masks and symbols in a layered composition. Skill is shown through the accurate blending of painted tones on the masks.

12. Damballah 1980

13. Petite Ballerina 1982 Western style portrait painting has been included with flat African motifs and patterns. The girl’s face is the first point of focus. She has been rendered skillfully including a range of tones to show the form of the portrait.

14. Haiti Demain? Mixed media, 1987

15. Significance • Helped to change the perception of her race through art and dance teaching, along with textile design and coaching sports • Made impressionism, oil painting, and individualistic art more popular • Paved the way for African Americans to have art exhibitions • Introduced Cubism and expressionism into American art • Helped lead the way for the blend of European and African American inspired artwork

16. Interesting Facts • Summers at Martha’s Vineyard inspired her natural landscape and watercolor paintings • She disliked being anonymous as a textile designer, and therefore turned to painting • Her trip to Paris allowed her to fully understand African imagery and impressionism • Trips to Haiti turned her artwork into more spirited, geometric, colourful, and individual art • 1973 - 1st African American Artist to have a solo show in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts

17. Bibliography • "Ascent of Ethiopia." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Ascent_of_Ethiopia. N.p.,      14 Mar. 2010. Web. 16 May 2010 • "Lois Mailou Jones." http://www.dipity.com/timeline/Lois-Mailou-Jones/list.      N.p., 2100. Web. 16 May 2010. • "Lois Mailou Jones." http://www.octobergallery.com/artists/jones.htm. N.p., n.d.      Web. 16 May 2010. • "Lois Mailou Jones." Encyclopedia of World Biography Supplement, Vol. 20. Gale Group, 2000.  Reproduced in Biography Resource Center. Farmington Hills, Mich.: Gale, 2010.