Dr. Kym Pinder, an associate professor of art history at the School of Art Institute in Chicago and director of the Master of Arts History Program, conducted a lecture discussing the African-American depictions of Christ in early African churches and various African American artists who address the subject of religion. Pinder displayed a combination of research projects that she has worked on for over ten years. Among her many other artistic contributions, Dr. Pinder is a stain glass specialist and travels to churches all more than Chicago in an effort to preserve glass murals. Images of a black Christ, the Virgin Mary, and angels are common works of art in black churches.
Pinder had the pleasure of visiting the oldest black church in Savannah, Ga., where she examined wooden pews that were over one hundred years old. One of her photographs shows that there were four different patterns as well as four sets of markings on the pews that were made exclusively by and for slaves. Pinder said, “These marks were made by four carpenters. African American artists often made these marks on their work because they could not read nor write their names. These marks were found to be tribal markings from West Africa in honor of their ancestors.”
While viewing a painting of a typical grave site of an African American of that time, Pinder stated , “Grave sites were seen as a doorway between the living world and the ancestry spirit world in the 19th century.” She affirmed that spirituality and religion connects back to ancient Africa and slavery. Continuing, Pinder revealed a photograph of the Pilgrim Baptist Church that burned down a year ago. She began to explain how music was very important to this church because it was one of the birth places of gospel music. Thomas A. Dorsey was an important figure in gospel music, and is credited for bringing gospel music to the Pilgrim Baptist Church, the oldest synagogue in the country.
She also illustrated numerous pieces of art that shadowed images of Ethiopia from the 1500s in which the artists made Jesus look like the people who were preaching about him. Several of the paintings were of black saints with afros, symbolizing the Buddhist religion. Pinder states that, “It was natural for gods that African Americans worshiped to look like them in their art.”
Henry O. Tanner was the most important 19th century African American religious artist. In his painting, “The Banjo Lesson,” he focused on African Americans and biblical subjects. Pinder avowed that Tanner’s father wanted him to become a minister but his passion was in painting, so he became a minister in art by painting religious and spiritual drawings. He would often paint on Sundays during worship service and on several occasions Tanner placed himself in his own biblical scenes. He painted European oriented depictions of Christ because intense racism in America caused him to flee to Europe. Pinder also explained that Tanner painted both white and black depictions of Christ, beside one another. “The black Christ has so many layers of biblical meaning and perseverance,” stated Pinder.
Tanner’s visions of unity through his work were accepted and it was a moment in church history where innovation was rejoiced.
William H. Johnson was another African American artist who was trained in Europe. He worked with European style paintings, but came home to America to focus on representing his people in his art works. Many of Johnson’s drawings included biblical images and the Negro struggle during the nineteenth century. Among his works of art are “Go Down Moses” and “Going to Church.” Pinder explained that in “Go down Moses,” Johnson used bright colors to represent black spirituality while trying to shake off the European feel to his work. While in “Going to Church,” the patterns tresemble quilts and patch works. In this painting, Johnson tried to make a connection with black arts and crafts.”
Bob Thompson was another abstract artist Pinder discussed. He also made the people in his paintings with loud colors. Jazz music was a major influence in his work as he tried to bring feeling into his paintings.
One of the more inspiring pieces of art displayed was “Jesus is an Airplane,” by Sister Gertrude Morgan. She lived in New Orleans and held her own outdoor ministry in the French Quarter. Morgan was also a gospel musician whose house was covered in artwork. She would write all over the art combining text with images. Morgan would depict herself in her art work wearing the color white. Pinder expressed that, “Sister Morgan wanted to portray a black woman worshiping in her art.”
Pinder is also an author, her book, Race-ing Art History: An Anthology has been described as the first comprehensive anthology to place issues of racial representation squarely on the canvas.