"The Other Side of Color" is an intimate look at a celebrity family's commitment to its culture. Firmly adhering to the belief that African American families should themselves collect and preserve their cultural history, Bill and Camille Cosby have accumulated an exceptional collection of more than three hundred representative paintings, prints, sculptures, and drawings. David C. Driskell, curator of the Cosby collection and a close friend of the Cosbys, has selected almost one hundred images from the assemblage and, through detailed yet very readable text, explores the significance of each plate.Taking the reader from the late 1700s to today, Driskell thoroughly explains the significance of the presented works within the historic, social, and political background of the eras. Often poignant, the narratives trace the history of African American art in this country, revealing the fortitude, talents, and spirit of the artists. Among the artists whose lives and works are discussed are Henry Ossawa Tanner, Mary Edmonia Lewis, Palmer Hayden, Beauford Delaney, Meta Vaux Warrick Fuller, Augusta Savage, Horace Pippin, Ellis Ruley, Lois Mailou Jones, Elizabeth Catlett, Jacob Lawrence, Robert Colescott, Faith Ringgold, Emma Amos, Keith Morrison, and Mary Lovelace O'Neal.
The Other Side of Color, with its wealth of information and visual bounty, will appeal to all lovers of art -- regardless of their color -- and students of history. It is a forceful reminder that the world of art can and should belong to every-one and a long overdue tribute to the African American men and women who struggled and endured to bring their vision to the world.
