Hughes & Lawrence 

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Falling under the category of Literary Art, Jacob Lawrence produced numerous pieces that accompanied Hughes's written word. The pieces found come from Montage of a Dream Deferred published in 1951 and One Way Ticket published in 1949.

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Significantly, many of these images were never published alongside Hughes’s writing due to editorial decisions and publishing costs; therefore, this archive allows for the union of the two as intended by Hughes.

Lawrence’s artistic style is also noteworthy in that these images appear as the mortar between stained-glass window pieces - prompting one to consider how all color has been removed. In these black and white illustrations, we see harsh contoured lines where space is cut and shaped across the scene. Lawrence's style is abrupt and linear, and the sharp angels in the pieces capture a viewer's eye and draw it to the labyrinth of contours. ​The coloring, while perhaps simple, is highly revealing of the racial tensions of the era that these pieces reflect. The black and white shapes and lines seem to push unto and pull away from each other, creating a weighted sense of tension detectable in each piece. 

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All images courtesy of Dr. Jason Miller.