The voices and visions of Black women artists have been and are often overlooked in the complex world of art. However, their contributions to the art world are immense, offering a rich tapestry of experiences, histories, and aspirations. Melanie Anne Herzog’s essay, Embodiment, Abstraction, Memory: Black Women Artists in the Horseman Collection, delves deeply into the lives and works of some of these remarkable artists, shedding light on their artistic practice and invaluable contributions to the visual arts.

The title itself speaks volumes. Embodiment signifies the presence and physicality that these artists bring to their work, asserting their identities and experiences in a world that has frequently rendered them invisible. Through their art, these women claim space, their bodies, and their stories to defy centuries of misrepresentation and marginalization.

Abstraction refers to the various forms and techniques that many of the featured artists in this exhibition employed to express their artistic visions. From the bold, vibrant abstractions of Alma Thomas to the profound simplicity of Mildred Thompson, these women used abstraction not only as an aesthetic choice but as a means to convey deeper truths about their experiences and the world around them. Abstraction became a language through which they communicated their inner lives, struggles, and triumphs.

Memory is the thread that ties their works together. The word memory conjures recollections about our collective past, personal histories, and cultural legacies. These artists draw from a wellspring of remembrances to create works that are simultaneously deeply personal and universally resonant. They engage with the past to understand the present and envision a more just and inclusive future.

Lorraine O’Grady’s statement that Black women’s ability to name themselves comes from the power to first see themselves resonates throughout this essay. These works serve as mirrors that reflect the artists who created them—and at times their viewers—while also providing them the agency to articulate their life experiences in ways that have been historically denied to Black women. The action of self-naming is both a political and intimate endeavor that challenges distorted representations that have long permeated popular culture and art history.

The Horseman Collection, as explored in this essay, speaks to Black women artists’ brilliance, creativity, and resilience. It offers a counter-narrative to mainstream art historical discourse that prioritizes the voices and experiences of Black women. This digital exhibition makes these works accessible to a broader audience and ensures that the critical writing about these artists and their work continues to evolve and inspire. Moreover, this exhibition sheds light on the important work of the Horseman Foundation, which amplifies the artistic practices of those historically pushed to the margins of our society. Herzog’s essay and the corresponding digital exhibition are crucial celebrations of the achievements of Black women artists, while also serving as a testament to the power of art to transform, heal, and affirm the richness of human experience.

Rehema Barber