2013 Interviews

James Brown Jr. - ART CART Oral History

Brown Jr., James; Greaves, Sherlan; Teachers College. Research Center for Arts and Culture

In this oral history interview, James Brown, Jr., discusses his growth as an African American multi-media artist. The first clip explores Brown’s inspirations and the ancestral themes in his work. His work also reflects his community during the Civil Rights Era and the Black Arts Movement, using his “paintbrush as my weapon.” Brown also explains the notion that artists as a threat to society and how effective movers of culture and society they can be. The second clip explores Brown’s specific paintings and his experiences creating them. He also elaborates further on the Black Arts Movement in the 1960s as well as his expansion from painting into textile arts, being called the “Silk Man” because he painted on silk.