Behind the Demand for African-American Art

Left: Lot 118, "Blues for R.B." by Romare Bearden, 1981, oil monotype on Arches paper; Right: Lot 147, "All The Things You Are" by Romare Bearden, 1987, collage, color dyes, and watercolor on board, Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

Just ten years ago, while African-American art was commonly found in galleries and through dealers, only two artists were popular at auction. These were Jacob Lawrence and Romare Bearden, both of whom were 20th-century modern artists who focused on the African-American experience in their creative processes. In the past decade, much has changed to facilitate a solid, properly-valued market for several categories of Black American art.

We spoke to Nigel Freeman, Director of the African-American Fine Art Department at Swann Auction Galleries, about how interest and auction prices have changed for African-American artists and why this is such a vital step forward for collectors and artists alike. Freeman states, “it’s a very important area of the market in collecting, in the broader sense of cultural institutions, and in what is considered American art, because for a long time many African-American artists had not been included in the history of American art, and that’s changing.” In tune with this change is an increased demand across the market, likely to be reflected in Swann Auction Galleries’ African-American Fine Art auction held on October 6th.

Lot 34, “Woman” by Norman Lewis, c. 1944, lithograph on cream wove paper,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

From the Harlem Renaissance to Post-War American Art

For many, the Harlem Renaissance represents the first explosion of African-American artists into the mainstream. The name denotes a period of artistry in the 1920s, during which jazz musicians, writers, and painters created astounding works to describe their experience as Black Americans. In Freeman’s eyes, “they were the first modern artists who were African-American who had the ability and freedom to describe that experience.”

While Harlem Renaissance artists remained popular throughout the 20th and 21st centuries, work by Post-War African-American artists (which was generally undervalued in the marketplace) is now surging in popularity at auction. Says Freeman, “we are seeing a lot of interest in artists who were part of the second generation, and who made very significant contributions to American art.”

Lot 10, “Hazel Scott” by James VanDerZee, 1933, silver print,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

This photograph by James VanDerZee, “one of the early photographers of the Harlem Renaissance,” is of Trinidadian-born jazz and classical pianist Hazel Scott, who in addition to her musical career, was an accomplished actress and a fierce advocate for the Civil Rights Movement. Scott was the first Afro-Caribbean performer to host her own nationally syndicated television show, The Hazel Scott Show. Artist James VanDerZee has two photographs in Swann’s upcoming African American Art auction estimated at $3,000 to $5,000, as well as a set of eighteen photographs spanning 1905 to 1938.

Lot 24, “Mike’s Place” by Robert Blackburn, 1938, lithograph on paper,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

“This Robert Blackburn lithograph offers a fascinating view of a Harlem Renaissance scene,” says Freeman. “You hear a lot about Harlem Renaissance artists but there are actually very few images of them, and where they lived and worked at that time.” The rare lithograph is one of the earliest by the artist to come to auction.

“…for a long time many African-American artists had not been included in the history of American art, and that’s changing.” -Nigel Freeman

Lot 95, “Untitled (Circle Dance)” by Norman Lewis, 1973, color etching and relief on paper,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

“Norman Lewis has gallery representation and critical acclaim, but did not enjoy the same commercial success as his peers. He was in many ways left out of the whole story of Abstract Expressionism even though he was very much at the table.” Norman Lewis’s “paintings from ‘50s until the ‘70s are selling for six figures, but you can buy this beautiful, scarce lithograph which is estimated at less than $5,000.”

Lot 82, “What Did You In London Town?” by Sam Gilliam, 1973, acrylic on canvas,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

“What Gilliam did in this piece that was really significant is he took the canvas off the stretcher, stained it and painted it on the floor, and draped it in such a way that it became much more sculptural. He has a very significant career…but his work at auction in the last 20 years is really undervalued.”

Contemporary African-American Art

The popularity of current artists like Kara Walker, Carrie Mae Weems, Theaster Gates, and Kerry James Marshall is vital to the reassessment of earlier African-American painters and sculptors. Contemporary artists cite the history of Black American creativity and experience in myriad ways, and their success today reverberates back in time.

“It works from both ends of the market,” says Freeman. “You have an institutional and historical interest and reevaluation of these artists and African-American artists that are at the cutting edge of what is contemporary today. They recognize and incorporate their predecessors, so they’ve brought a lot of attention to the contributions of African-Americans. It’s been a great spotlight on the whole area of the market.”

Lot 142, “Mirror, Mirror” by Carrie Mae Weems, 1987, gelatin silver print on printed text mount,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

“This is a scarce print that Carrie Mae Weems made first in 1987, early in her career. This is her second major series of photographs, where she really found her own. She uses text and messages with photography and has continued to do that throughout her career.”

Lot 168, “Untitled (Heart)” by David Hammons, 1994, hand-painted paper mache ornament,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

David Hammons “has made art out of everyday objects, from snowballs to torn plastic tarps. Whenever he’s incorporating something into a work of art it always attracts a lot of interest.”

Lot 85, “Unite” by Barbara Jones-Hogu, 1971, color screenprint,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

“An interesting area of collecting is ’60s art from the Civil Rights Era. There’s a lot of interest in the artists who were politically active at that time: the Black Arts Movements and AfriCOBRA are two movements that visual artists participated in. This screenprint by Barbara Jones-Hogu is really a great, very political image that sums up the period.”

Lot 58, “Untitled (Abstract Composition)” by Mavis Pusey, 1964, color lithograph,
Swann Auction Galleries (October 6)

Mavis Pusey’s “work dates from the 1960s and is really rising in stature, going into museum collections,” says Freeman. “This is definitely a sleeper in the sale … she really has a wonderful take on abstraction. This is a scarce lithograph of hers that’s estimated at only $1,000.” Pusey’s work is prominently featured in the Visual Arts exhibit of the recently-opened National Museum of African-American History and Culture.

Tips for New Collectors

Freeman shared his thoughts on how new collectors interested in African-American art can begin to find pieces they love, starting with going online to find information before they begin collecting. “The great thing about auctions, of course, and with Invaluable is that you can easily find the value of past works and be an informed buyer at auction, when 15 years ago this was inside information. That’s really opened up a whole world to collectors who are very new.”

Prints and photographs also present a vital opportunity those who are just starting out. “In a sale like Swann’s African-American Fine Art, you can buy a very scarce or interesting work on paper by an artist, when normally for a beginning collector a unique work may be well out of reach.”

See these monumental works and more in Swann Auction Galleries’ African-American Fine Art sale on October 6, spanning 150 years with an especially strong selection of abstract canvases.


Nigel Freeman About Nigel FreemanNigel Freeman is the director of the African-American Fine Art department at Swann Auction Galleries. He entered the auction world in 1997 with a background in fine art as a painter and printmaker after earning a Master of Fine Arts degree from Columbia University in 1991, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in History and Art from Brown University in 1989. Nigel has been in the field of art auctions for the past 12 years, and previously was the associate director of Swann’s Prints & Drawings department.