HBO Max: “Black Art In the Absence Of Light”
Amazing Black Art For the Quarantine & After
I was astonished how good HBOMax’s “Black Art In the Absence Of Light” was when I recently viewed it. Not just the art presented, the artists, but also the production.
Sam Pollard, the creator of the film, is a long time documentarian in film, with a slew of high credits including work on Eyes on the Prize, Spike Lee’s Four Little Girls, and Mr. Soul.
It’s title, “Black Art In the Absence Of Light,” can be traced to comments by Theaster Gates, of Chicago, an artist who appears in the film. Gates, who has taken art in that city to a completely new level, presents a new way of Black artists and Black art creation.
He asserts that if Black art is not acknowledged when it is just going out its regular, daily creative rhythms, he would rather just do art without the focus of the larger public.
He is saying, in a sense, do not just come and try to pay attention when it is cool or chic to pay attention to Black art. Pay attention and support Black art always. He is not concerned with the wider public caring about what Black artist do or not do.
He is also suggesting to Black artists today, all types, visual artists, filmmakers, writers, poets, and others, to make art that is…
