Art of the African World
Gwendolyn Knight
A Living Legend Among Artists Young and Old Alike
by Robert G. Miller
 Gwendolyn
Knight is an art pioneer in the truest sense of the word. Born in Barbados,
West Indies in 1913, she was creative from an early age, always drawing,
dancing or writing. When she was seven, her family left the West Indies
and eventually settled in New York City. It was the beginning of the Harlem
Renaissance. She now lives in Seattle.
Forced to leave Howard University because of the Depression, Knight
was directed to the WPA artists' workshop led by noted sculptor Augusta
Savage. In this arena Gwendolyn Knight's creativity flourished. Savage
became Knight's teacher and eventually her mentor. Said Knight, The most
important lesson she taught me was that I was an artist and I should continue
my work. For women artists, it was not an easy thing. Early on there were
not very many women artists. To be supported as a woman and an artist was
a great thing when there was not much encouragement otherwise.
Knight's main body of work consists of portraits and still-life art.
She finds inspiration in African sculpture, the Impressionists, dance and
theater. Studying line and movement, she prefers working with models. Because
she still travels a great deal, her subjects are often people she meets
while on the road. Although oil is her favorite medium, an artist friend
encouraged her to move into printmaking because it proved to be less time-consuming.
Her style is light and airy with a minimum of lines allowing empty space
to define a piece. Often the posters of her subjects reveal a genuine knowledge
of modern dance. Knight contends Dance is the way I draw, the way I work.
I'm interested in gesture.
A skillful artist with self-reliance and confidence, Gwendolyn Knight's
works are a great contribution to the world of art. She's the recipient
of numerous awards and honors including the National Honor Award presented
by the Women's Caucus for Art, Cornish Lifetime Achievement Award in Seattle,
Centennial Award of Merit from Arizona State University, Pioneer Award
from the 12th annual Artist's Salute to Black History Month in Los Angeles,
and two honorary doctorate degrees from Seattle University and the University
of Minnesota. Her works grace the art collections of Hampton University
in Hampton, VA, New York City's Museum of Modern Art, the Francine Seders
Gallery in Seattle, and the St. Louis Art Museum in St. Louis, MO.
Flutist
|
Diva
|
Black Dancer
|
Flowers
|
Horses
|
The art collection portrayed in this article is courtesy
of the artist and the Francine Seders Gallery in Seattle, WA.
|
