Throughout the British Isles during the Georgian period of 1714-1830, black people were working in a variety of roles and settings. While some were enslaved and took on domestic service, more were having work as free seamen or soldiers and even educational and business purposes. Black Georgians explores how African people in Britain challenged degraded notions of human diversity and initiated a set of dialogues that continue to this day.
The curation of Black Georgians was very similar to that of No Colour Bar, the most notable similarity being that the introductory piece - one that secluded itself from outside the doors leading to the full exhibition - was a bust by Fowokan George Kelly, this time of a figure known as Len Kwesi Garrison. Garrison was an educationalist and historian whose life’s work was to record the development of black history and identity to promote the works of young black writers; he is responsible for cofounding the Black Cultural Archives. He strikes me as being a powerful figure of black history, this bust that introduces us to the exhibition a mark of his hard work and legacy. However, it doesn’t really carry as much character or mystery as the Lost Queen Of Pernambuco; it is simply a bust to remind us whose work this is.
An immediate and striking difference of Black Georgians to No Colour Bar is the colours that are used throughout to work alongside the exhibits. The low-saturated greens and greys were dull and old-fashioned, and while it is fitting for the time it represents, it lacks the excitement of the bright reds and greens of the Guildhall Art Gallery.
It was a relief then when I lay my eyes upon A Window Of Enslavement. In plantation societies, Africans were forbidden from joining the Church of England, and this window illustrates their being forced into submission and being taken away from their traditional spiritual practices. This is an unusually dark concept for a window that is so bright and blue; the colour does not work well with this idea, as it feels too joyous and vibrant.
Up next was a portrait of a figure by the name of Ignatius Sancho. Born on a slave ship and then tragically orphaned, Sancho was brought to London at the mere age of 2, and he served in the household of the three maiden sisters in Greenwich. His intelligence caught the attention of several neighbours and the like, and Sancho was given access to books and other learning resources; he then went on to become a shopkeeper, a composer, and a leading figure in Georgian London’s black community.
From the portrait displayed in the Black Cultural Archives, I feel that Sancho is very damaged on the inside, and is looking up for a greater hope. The fact that the photo is black and white further makes him look and feel more like a historical figure, a symbol of a dark past that has carried on and reminded us that there is hope. Ignatius Sancho, to me, is a heroic figure that has endured the worst of times for him and his people.
Despite their outsider status, some black Georgians managed to make lives for themselves across the vast spectrum of British society. Exclusion from mainstream society often led to expressions of solidarity and attempts of cohesion, much of these people serving in this community being servants, artists and even boxers.
This was the case with Tom Molineaux, seen here ready to battle against Tom Cribb in Clash Of The Titans: Cribb vs. Molineaux. Molineaux’s fame as a fighter peaked with his two English title battles against Cribb in both 1810 and 1811. The latter match was watched by 15,000 people, although Molineaux lost both of them. After retiring from the ring, his life from there went downhill, serving time in a debtors’ prison and finally dying at the age of 34 as a penniless alcoholic. It reminds me that as much as we can accept peace and diversity, there are still some underground civilians out there who cannot stand change, Clash Of The Titans being a symbol of damaged pride and rising vengeance. It is not the sort of thing that I like to look at, but I think it is something that people should see so as to remind our future selves to be better individuals.
But there is hope with All At Sea. For many black men who served in the Atlantic region, a life at sea offered much more opportunities and equality than on dry land. In All At Sea, we see a group of white men gathered round a table playing a game, one black man joining them. They all appear to be enjoying themselves, the black man especially, without a care in the world. It may be instantly noticeable that there is only one black guy with them, but considering the way that they all look like they are enjoying themselves, diversity is not as much of a sensitive topic and all these people are accepting one another for being themselves.
Both exhibitions contained interesting histories and individuals concerning black history, although I far preferred No Colour Bar. The way that it was curated and coloured fit the mood that we ought to have got from it, and the tones of each exhibit boosted my artistic value through an array of colours and styles. The Black Cultural Archives, on the other hand, was more of a history lesson than something I could pick up artistic inspiration from, so naturally I lost interest when it came to picking up ideas from it.
Sources:
No Colour Bar: Black British Art In Action [exhibition], Guildhall Art Gallery, Moorgate, 30th Sep 2015
Black Georgians: The Shock Of The Familiar [exhibition], Black Cultural Archives, Brixton, 13th Oct 2015
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