The opportunity to revisit a theme taken on at Art Deco Weekend 1996 while she was a PhD candidate at Princeton University, Vendryes is taking a close look at what she shared then and what research and writing about African art as an inspiration for Art Deco design has become available since. Writers have revealed, over these 23 years, how aesthetics of what was considered “The Dark Continent” is reflected in objects and images that significantly mark the era.
Margaret Rose Vendryes is an artist, art historian, and curator. She has an established record of publications including her book Barthé, A Life in Sculpture (2008) and exhibitions including Blues: Reflections on African America from the Amistad Research Center Fine Arts Collection (New Orleans Museum of Art, 2010). She also has a multimedia studio practice inspired by African aesthetics and its intersection with black music and visual culture. She is currently Professor of Art History and Chair of Performing & Fine Arts and Director of the Fine Arts Gallery at York College, City University of New York. www.mrvendryes.com
This lecture was presented during Art Deco Weekend 2019
source
