Black Lives Matter art
{{Short description|Related artworks}}
{{pp-vandalism|small=yes}}
{{use mdy dates |date=March 2022}}
File:Aerial view of Black Lives Matter mural at Penn and Plymouth (50139920322).jpg mural in Minneapolis, July 2020]]
Many artworks related to the Black Lives Matter movement have been created.{{Cite web|last=Krales|first=Amelia Holowaty|date=2020-07-05|title=33 powerful Black Lives Matter murals|url=https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/5/21304985/black-lives-matter-murals-round-up-artists|access-date=2020-09-16|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916180421/https://www.theverge.com/2020/7/5/21304985/black-lives-matter-murals-round-up-artists|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Julia|date=2020-08-04|title=The 'Black Lives Matter' Street Art That Contains Multitudes|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/arts/design/black-lives-matter-murals-new-york.html|access-date=2020-09-16|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916180957/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/arts/design/black-lives-matter-murals-new-york.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite magazine|last=Smith|first=Danez|title=Minneapolis Street Art During and After the BLM Protests|url=https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/the-power-of-protest-art|access-date=2020-09-16|magazine=Vanity Fair|date=August 24, 2020|language=en-us|archive-date=September 22, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200922081539/https://www.vanityfair.com/culture/2020/08/the-power-of-protest-art|url-status=live}} These works are either seen as a direct tribute to those who have died or more broadly to the movement.{{Citation|title=List of Black Lives Matter street murals|date=2021-11-05|url=https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Black_Lives_Matter_street_murals&oldid=1053711858|work=Wikipedia|language=en|access-date=2021-11-27|archive-date=February 24, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230224161257/https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Black_Lives_Matter_street_murals&oldid=1053711858|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=How the Death of George Floyd Sparked a Street Art Movement|url=https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-death-george-floyd-sparked-street-art-movement-180975711/|access-date=2021-11-27|website=Smithsonian Magazine|language=en|archive-date=December 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221225012023/https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/how-death-george-floyd-sparked-street-art-movement-180975711/|url-status=live}} Often the pieces are created in the streets as to be more publicly visible.{{Cite news|last=Jacobs|first=Julia|date=2020-07-16|title=The 'Black Lives Matter' Street Art That Contains Multitudes|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/arts/design/black-lives-matter-murals-new-york.html|access-date=2021-11-27|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=September 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200916180957/https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/16/arts/design/black-lives-matter-murals-new-york.html|url-status=live}} As such several attempts have been made at preserving the art created in protest on the basis of their artistic merit and cultural significance.{{Cite news|last=Franklin|first=Jonathan|date=2021-10-02|title=She guarded the Black Lives Matter memorial. Now, she's working to protect its art|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/02/1041543414/she-guarded-the-black-lives-matter-memorial-now-shes-working-to-protect-its-art|access-date=2021-11-27|archive-date=December 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223181636/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/02/1041543414/she-guarded-the-black-lives-matter-memorial-now-shes-working-to-protect-its-art|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Calma|first=Justine|date=2020-10-21|title=Protest art leaves the streets|url=https://www.theverge.com/21509952/street-art-murals-black-lives-matter-blm-protests-new-york-city-artists|access-date=2021-11-27|website=The Verge|language=en|archive-date=December 10, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221210001435/https://www.theverge.com/21509952/street-art-murals-black-lives-matter-blm-protests-new-york-city-artists|url-status=live}} Increasingly, the erasure of the artwork has been a problem for preservationists.{{Cite magazine|date=2020-11-19|title=The Defacement and Destruction of Black Lives Matter Murals|url=https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/the-defacement-and-destruction-of-black-lives-matter-murals|access-date=2021-12-11|magazine=The New Yorker|language=en-US|archive-date=August 1, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220801155329/https://www.newyorker.com/news/us-journal/the-defacement-and-destruction-of-black-lives-matter-murals|url-status=live}} As such, the artworks below represent a fraction of the works created.
Murals
File:BLM mural in Greenpoint (35406p).jpg]]
Say Their Names was painted in Louisville, Kentucky. In Portland, Oregon, the George Floyd mural and We Stand with You were created.
=Street murals=
{{Main|List of Black Lives Matter street murals}}
File:2020.06.05 Protesting the Murder of George Floyd, Washington, DC USA 157 34232.jpg" painted in June 2020|The Washington, D.C. Black Lives Matter mural painted in June 2020]]
On June 5, 2020, during the George Floyd protests, the DC Public Works Department painted the words "Black Lives Matter" in {{convert|35|ft|m|adj=mid|-tall}} yellow capital letters on 16th Street NW on the north of Lafayette Square, part of President's Park near the White House, with the assistance of the MuralsDC program of the DC Department of Public Works, with the DC flag accompanying the text.{{cite news |url = https://dcist.com/story/20/06/05/ahead-of-saturday-protest-black-lives-matter-message-painted-on-16th-street-near-white-house/ |title = DC Renames Intersection near White House 'Black Lives Matter Plaza' Paints 35-Foot Message on Street |date = June 5, 2020 |access-date = June 5, 2020 |work = DCist |first1 = Mark |last1 = Austermuhle |first2 = Daniella |last2 = Cheslow |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605141623/https://dcist.com/story/20/06/05/ahead-of-saturday-protest-black-lives-matter-message-painted-on-16th-street-near-white-house/ |archive-date = June 5, 2020 |url-status = live }}{{cite news |url = https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-paints-black-lives-matter-on-street-near-lafayette-square/2323647/ |title = City of DC Painting 'Black Lives Matter' on Street Near White House |date = June 5, 2020 |access-date = June 5, 2020 |location = Washington, DC |publisher = WRC-TV |first1 = Sophie |last1 = Barnes |first2 = Justin |last2 = Finch |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605141630/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-paints-black-lives-matter-on-street-near-lafayette-square/2323647/ |archive-date = June 5, 2020 |url-status = live }}{{cite news |url = https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/05/us/black-lives-matter-dc-street-white-house-trnd/index.html |title = Washington DC Paints a Giant 'Black Lives Matter' Message on the Road to the White House |date = June 5, 2020 |access-date = June 5, 2020 |publisher = CNN |first = AJ |last = Willingham |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200605141621/https://edition.cnn.com/2020/06/05/us/black-lives-matter-dc-street-white-house-trnd/index.html |archive-date = June 5, 2020 |url-status = live }} This would eventually cause the renaming of 16th street NW to Black Lives Matter Plaza.{{Cite web|last1=Barnes|first1=Sophia|last2=Finch|first2=Justin|last3=Reporter • •|first3=News4|title=DC Ceremonially Names Street to White House After Black Lives Matter; Emblazons Name on Road|url=https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-paints-black-lives-matter-on-street-near-lafayette-square-street-renamed-black-lives-matter-way/2323647/|access-date=2021-11-30|website=NBC4 Washington|date=June 5, 2020 |language=en-US|archive-date=June 5, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200605163403/https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/dc-paints-black-lives-matter-on-street-near-lafayette-square-street-renamed-black-lives-matter-way/2323647/|url-status=live}} Multiple other cities across the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom, subsequently painted similar murals, including Cincinnati, Indianapolis, Portland, Salt Lake City, Santa Cruz, California, and Springfield, Massachusetts.
Painting
In response to the 2020 killing of Breonna Taylor, artist Amy Sherald created a painted portrait simply titled Breonna Taylor. The portrait features Taylor in a turquoise dress with a cross necklace and a diamond engagement ring. Sherald created the portrait using oil paints on a 54" x 43" linen canvas. In 2021, the piece was included in a Speed Art Museum exhibition titled "Promise, Witness, Remembrance", which was curated by Allison Glenn.{{Cite web|last=McCool|first=Bill|date=2021-05-13|title=Speed Art Museum's Promise, Witness, Remembrance Gets an Assist From Design Studio Team|url=https://www.printmag.com/designer-interviews/speed-art-museum-s-promise-witness-remembrance-gets-an-assist-from-design-studio-team/|access-date=2021-11-06|website=PRINT Magazine|language=en-US|archive-date=December 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203064549/https://www.printmag.com/designer-interviews/speed-art-museum-s-promise-witness-remembrance-gets-an-assist-from-design-studio-team/|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|last=Pogrebin|first=Robin|date=2021-03-07|title=Amy Sherald Directs Her Breonna Taylor Painting Toward Justice|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/arts/design/amy-sherald-breonna-taylor-painting.html|access-date=2021-11-06|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=February 13, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213174214/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/07/arts/design/amy-sherald-breonna-taylor-painting.html|url-status=live}}
In response to the 2013 killing of Trayvon Martin, artist Nikkolas Smith created a painted portrait of Martin Luther King Jr. wearing a hoodie purposefully resembling the same hoodie donned by Trayvon Martin at the time of his death.{{Cite news|title='Artivist' Nikkolas Smith Combines Art And Activism Into A Singular Superpower|language=en|work=NPR.org|url=https://www.npr.org/2020/06/29/883490848/artivist-nikkolas-smith-combines-art-and-activism-into-a-singular-superpower|access-date=2021-11-06|archive-date=November 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211123140427/https://www.npr.org/2020/06/29/883490848/artivist-nikkolas-smith-combines-art-and-activism-into-a-singular-superpower|url-status=live}}
Adrian Brandon created a series of portraits titled "Stolen",{{Cite web|title=stolen|url=https://www.adrianbrandon.com/stolen|access-date=2021-11-30|website=Adrian Brandon|language=en|archive-date=March 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331094843/https://www.adrianbrandon.com/stolen|url-status=live}} each one being a Black individual who had their life taken. He chose to only paint the portraits for the same number of minutes as years each individual lived. The empty white spaces represent the life they will never be able to live.
In November 2014, visual artist and illustrator Cbabi Bayoc painted RIP Son using acrylic on a {{convert|4|x|4|ft|m|adj=on}} panel.{{Cite journal|last=Bayoc|first=Cbabi|date=2020|title=RIP Son|journal=American Ethnologist|volume=47|issue=2|pages=174–175|doi=10.1111/amet.12897|s2cid=242991120 |issn=1548-1425|doi-access=free}} Bayoc's art contribution was done in response to the grand jury decision to acquit officer Darren Wilson who was involved in the fatal shooting of Ferguson teen Michael Brown.
Sculpture
A bust and statue of George Floyd were installed in New York City and Newark, New Jersey, respectively.{{Cite web|author=Liam Reilly|title=Bronze bust of George Floyd defaced at New York City's Union Square|url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/03/us/george-floyd-bust-defaced-confront-art/index.html|access-date=2021-11-30|website=CNN|date=October 3, 2021|archive-date=October 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021003415/https://www.cnn.com/2021/10/03/us/george-floyd-bust-defaced-confront-art/index.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=WABC|date=2021-06-17|title=George Floyd statue unveiled outside City Hall in Newark|url=https://abc7ny.com/10799015/|access-date=2021-11-30|website=ABC7 New York|language=en|archive-date=June 17, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210617111917/https://abc7ny.com/10799015/|url-status=live}}
A bust of Breonna Taylor was installed in Oakland, California, in 2020.{{Cite web|last=Kreutz|first=Liz|date=2020-12-29|title=Vandalized Breonna Taylor sculpture in downtown Oakland has been stolen, artist says|url=https://abc7news.com/9178726/|access-date=2021-11-30|website=ABC7 San Francisco|language=en|archive-date=January 1, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210101113458/https://abc7news.com/9178726/|url-status=live}} A bust of John Lewis was displayed in Union Square, New York City.{{Cite web|last=Cascone|first=Sarah|date=2021-10-01|title=An Artist's Busts of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and John Lewis Go Up in New York's Union Square—See Images Here|url=https://news.artnet.com/art-world/george-floyd-union-square-monument-2015895|access-date=2021-12-15|website=Artnet News|language=en-US|archive-date=December 5, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221205011752/https://news.artnet.com/art-world/george-floyd-union-square-monument-2015895|url-status=live}}
These sculptures sometimes replace statues of controversial nature, such as a sculpture by Marc Quinn, which replaced a statue of Edward Colston in Bristol.{{Cite web|date=2020-07-15|title=Edward Colston statue replaced by sculpture of Black Lives Matter protester Jen Reid|url=http://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/edward-colston-statue-replaced-by-sculpture-of-black-lives-matter-protester|access-date=2021-11-30|website=The Guardian|first=Archie|last=Bland|language=en|archive-date=December 31, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221231101229/https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/15/edward-colston-statue-replaced-by-sculpture-of-black-lives-matter-protester|url-status=live}} The work is called A Surge of Power, and features Jen Reid with a fist raised.{{Cite news|date=2020-07-16|title=Jen Reid: Bristol Black Lives Matter statue removed|language=en-GB|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-53427014|access-date=2021-11-30|archive-date=July 16, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716054348/https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-bristol-53427014|url-status=live}}
Performance art
Performance art has been connected with the Black Lives Matter movement since the beginning, given Patrisse Cullors' ties to the movement's inception.{{Cite magazine|last=Dunlea|first=Reed|date=2020-06-23|title=Black Lives Matter Co-Founder on Building a Movement Through Art|url=https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/black-lives-matter-protest-art-patrisse-cullors-broad-museum-1019078/|access-date=2021-12-11|magazine=Rolling Stone|language=en-US|archive-date=December 24, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221224162909/https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/black-lives-matter-protest-art-patrisse-cullors-broad-museum-1019078/|url-status=live}}
Symbol
File:Protest march in response to the Philando Castile shooting (28084964251).jpg
The Black Lives Matter symbol is artwork depicting a raised fist, a universal symbol for solidarity. Its connections with the movement stems from The Black Panther Party, in which it has become embedded with anti-racist protests.{{Cite web|last=@NatGeoUK|date=2020-08-01|title=The history of the raised fist, a global symbol of fighting oppression|url=https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2020/08/the-history-of-the-raised-fist-a-global-symbol-of-fighting|access-date=2021-01-25|website=National Geographic|language=en-gb|archive-date=December 6, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201206163908/https://www.nationalgeographic.co.uk/history-and-civilisation/2020/08/the-history-of-the-raised-fist-a-global-symbol-of-fighting|url-status=live}} The raised fist symbol became the official gesture for the movement after the shooting of Michael Brown, an African-American teenager, in 2014.{{Cite web|date=2020-06-19|title=The meaning and history of the Black Power fist used by Black Lives Matter|url=https://inews.co.uk/news/black-lives-matter-fist-symbol-meaning-black-power-history-raised-explained-432838|access-date=2021-01-25|website=inews.co.uk|language=en|archive-date=January 22, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210122191350/https://inews.co.uk/news/black-lives-matter-fist-symbol-meaning-black-power-history-raised-explained-432838|url-status=live}}
Reception
The surrounding works of the Black Lives Matter movement have a majority positive public reception in the United States.{{Cite web|last=Horowitz|first=Juliana Menasce|title=Support for Black Lives Matter declined after George Floyd protests, but has remained unchanged since|url=https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/27/support-for-black-lives-matter-declined-after-george-floyd-protests-but-has-remained-unchanged-since/|access-date=2021-11-27|website=Pew Research Center|date=September 27, 2021 |language=en-US|archive-date=September 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210927160801/https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/09/27/support-for-black-lives-matter-declined-after-george-floyd-protests-but-has-remained-unchanged-since/|url-status=live}} Despite this, several instances of art vandalism have occurred.{{Cite news|title=A man threw paint on a sculpture of George Floyd. It's the second time the statue has been vandalized.|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/04/george-floyd-bust-vandalism-nyc/|access-date=2021-11-27|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=October 25, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211025164631/https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2021/10/04/george-floyd-bust-vandalism-nyc/|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=George Floyd mural in Rochester gets vandalized|url=https://www.kimt.com/content/news/muralvandalized-572167791.html|access-date=2021-11-27|website=KIMT News|language=en|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127182115/https://www.kimt.com/content/news/muralvandalized-572167791.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite news|title=George Floyd mural in Minneapolis defaced with black paint|language=en-US|newspaper=Washington Post|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-floyd-mural-in-minneapolis-defaced-with-black-paint/2020/08/21/60336b72-e396-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html|access-date=2021-11-27|issn=0190-8286|archive-date=October 21, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221021003414/https://www.washingtonpost.com/national/george-floyd-mural-in-minneapolis-defaced-with-black-paint/2020/08/21/60336b72-e396-11ea-82d8-5e55d47e90ca_story.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|title=A Breonna Taylor sculpture was vandalized. Its artist says it's an "act of racist aggression."|first=Erik|last=Ortiz|url=https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/breonna-taylor-sculpture-was-vandalized-its-artist-says-it-s-n1252440|access-date=2021-11-30|website=NBC News|date=December 28, 2020 |language=en|archive-date=December 23, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221223150701/https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/breonna-taylor-sculpture-was-vandalized-its-artist-says-it-s-n1252440|url-status=live}} These have generally been regarded as hate crimes depending on the notoriety of the work.{{Cite news|last=Treisman|first=Rachel|date=2021-10-28|title=An actor has been charged with vandalizing a New York City statue of George Floyd|language=en|work=NPR|url=https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1050030939/george-floyd-statue-vandalism-actor-arrested-new-york|access-date=2021-11-27|archive-date=November 25, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221125161835/https://www.npr.org/2021/10/28/1050030939/george-floyd-statue-vandalism-actor-arrested-new-york|url-status=live}}
The murals found in schools have had a mixed reaction from parents, teachers, and administration depending on the work.{{Cite news|last=Freytas-Tamura|first=Kimiko de|date=2021-10-29|title=A School Mural Was Supposed to Celebrate Black Lives. Instead, It Was Destroyed.|language=en-US|work=The New York Times|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/nyregion/brooklyn-school-mural-diversity.html|access-date=2021-11-27|issn=0362-4331|archive-date=August 29, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220829234946/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/10/29/nyregion/brooklyn-school-mural-diversity.html|url-status=live}}{{Cite web|last=Yancey-Bragg|first=N'dea|title=A massive Black Lives Matter mural has been dedicated to George Floyd in front of his high school|url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/08/george-floyd-black-lives-matter-mural-unveiled-houston-school/4436189001/|access-date=2021-11-27|website=USA TODAY|language=en-US|archive-date=December 3, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203131202/https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2021/02/08/george-floyd-black-lives-matter-mural-unveiled-houston-school/4436189001/|url-status=live}} Questions have been raised as to whom should be creating the art from an ethnographic perspective.{{Cite journal|last=Hemmerich|first=Sj S.|date=2021-09-03|title=Art as Activism and Allyship: Black Lives Matter Student Murals|url=https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00043125.2021.1928469|journal=Art Education|language=en|volume=74|issue=5|pages=25–31|doi=10.1080/00043125.2021.1928469|s2cid=236938673|issn=0004-3125|access-date=February 24, 2023|archive-date=November 27, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211127182037/https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/00043125.2021.1928469|url-status=live|url-access=subscription}} Another source of controversy is the use of a victim's likeness in derivative art.{{Cite web|last=Payne|first=Ed|date=2015-07-16|title=Michael Brown art exhibit is 'disturbing, disgusting,' father says|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/16/us/michael-brown-art-exhibit/index.html|access-date=2021-11-30|website=CNN|language=en|archive-date=November 30, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211130204331/https://www.cnn.com/2015/07/16/us/michael-brown-art-exhibit/index.html|url-status=live}}
Critical and academic reception of the art has been highly positive, prompting anthropological journalism and investigations into the artists' works.{{Cite journal|last1=Parikh|first1=Shanti|last2=Kwon|first2=Jong Bum|date=May 2020|title=Introduction: Still here in the afterlives|journal=American Ethnologist|volume=47|issue=2|pages=110–120|doi=10.1111/amet.12884|s2cid=240619620 |issn=0094-0496|url=https://anthrosource.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/amet.12884|url-access=subscription|publisher=American Anthropological Association}}