Von Blum
Kuwo
ngekhulu lama-20, abaculi base-Afrika baseMelika basebenzise amandla abo okudala ukuze
ukubhala futhi bagubhe umlando womlando wabantu babo. Kulolu hlelo,
baye bakhuthaza umbono ohlukile wezizukulwane ezincane ezilinyazwayo
ngezithombe ezijwayelekile zempilo yabantu abamnyama ezigcwele isiko elidumile laseMelika. Ngoba
emashumini amaningi eminyaka kulandela iHarlem Renaissance, indlela enkulu kulezi
izinhloso zibandakanye imidwebo yohlobo ekhombisa abantu base-Afrika baseMelika ngobubanzi
imisebenzi ehlukahlukene kanye nezilungiselelo. Ngokuhlangene, le misebenzi yobuciko inakho
silwe ngempumelelo nefa lokucwasa elicekele phansi umlando waseMelika.
Okuhlukile
Inzalo yaleli siko elimangalisayo yiciko lase-Los Angeles u-Varnette Honeywood.
Iciko elisebenza ngezindlela ezihlukahlukene kakhulu njengamanje osenkabeni yemfundo ephakeme, ukhiqize amaphuzu amaningi
imisebenzi yobuciko enempilo futhi enemibala eveza injabulo nokudala
impilo emnyama. Imidwebo yakhe, amakholaji, nokuphrinta kusebenzisa ulimi olubonakalayo ukuze
qhubeka nesiko lokuxoxa indaba ende yabantu bakubo. Njengabaningi bakhe
Abandulelayo base-Afrika baseMelika kanye nabaphila ngesikhathi sakhe, uyawugwema umbono wokuthi
"ubuciko ngenxa yobuciko," esikhundleni sokukhetha ukukhiqiza umsebenzi oxhumana naye
imicabango nemibono ejulile izethameli zakhe.
Ngaphandle kwakhe
iminyaka yasekolishi e-Atlanta, u-Honeywood ube yisakhamuzi sempilo yonke e-Los
Angeles. Okuhlangenwe nakho kwakhe kuye kwafana nokwabantu abaningi base-Afrika baseMelika
kulo mphakathi nakwezinye izindawo. Ulwazi lwakhe ngemiphumela yokucwasa ngokwebala kuye
umndeni uhlangene nokuhlangana okuningi komuntu siqu nezimo zengqondo zokucwasa kanye
imikhuba ukuze ibe nomthelela ekuqondeni okuyisisekelo komsebenzi wakhe wobuciko ovuthiwe.
Abafuduki bevela eMississippi, abazali bakhe babevame ukuxoxa ngezinkumbulo zabo ezijulile
yemvelo kaJim Crow yasekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20. Nabo babenjalo
ngaphansi kokuhlukunyezwa ngokobuhlanga eLos Angeles lapho behlala endaweni exubile
umakhelwane. Umkhulu ka-Honeywood naye wayehlukunyezwe yi-Klan
cross burning.
Phezulu
esikoleni ngasekupheleni kwawo-1960, u-Honeywood kanye nabanye abafundi base-Afrika baseMelika
benqatshelwe ukugqoka i-โAfros,โ okwakuwuphawu olubonakalayo lwamandla amnyama
kanye nokumelana. Okubaluleke nakakhulu, waqaphela inqubomgomo ekhohlisayo ye
ukudikibalisa abafundi abambalwa ukuthi baqhubekele emfundweni ephakeme, esikhundleni salokho
ukubaqhatha ukuze bathole imisebenzi eholela kancane, ephansi enekusasa elincane noma engenalo nhlobo
amathemba.
Ngesikhathi esifanayo
isikhathi, isikole samabanga aphezulu samsiza ukuba afunde ngomlando wabantu bakubo.
Ukwazi kwakhe ngomlando wabantu abamnyama kwavuselela isifiso sakhe esinamandla sokuba umdidiyeli
uthisha wezomlando, indima yobungcweti engamvumela ukuthi enze okukhulu
amagalelo emphakathini wakhe. Njengentsha eningi yangaleyo nkathi, naye
bahambela amalungelo omphakathi kanye neminye imibuthano kanye nemibhikisho yokubhikisha. Yena
bathola ukuthi ubuciko obubonwayo bubambe iqhaza elinamandla emizabalazweni ebanzi ye
ukulingana nesithunzi somuntu. Lokhu kuqashelwa ngokushesha kwahlanganiswa nokusemthethweni kwakhe
izifundo. E-Spelman College, wenza izifundo zokudweba, lapho ithalente lakhe maduzane
uthole ukuqashelwa nokukhuthazwa. Ithonya lakhe elikhulu kwaSpelman kwaba
Umculi odumile wase-Afrika waseMelika u-Kofi Bailey onombono wePan-African
wafaka owakhe ubuciko obungokomfanekiso obukhathalela umphakathi.
Njengabaningi
abaculi abavelele base-Afrika baseMelika kulowo mphakathi, u-Honeywood uyavuma
ukubonga okukhulu ku-Cecil Ferguson, umqaphi kanye nesishoshovu somphakathi
usizo kumaciko amnyama kube nesandla ekuziphatheni kwabo
imisebenzi kanye nokuqashelwa kabanzi kwesiko labo lobuciko kanye nefa.
I-Honeywood iphinde yathola usizo olubalulekile ku-African American ezinzile
abaculi, uRuth Waddy noSamella Lewis.
Emlandela
ethweswe iziqu eSpelman, uHoneywood wabuyela eLos Angeles, lapho athola khona
iziqu zakhe ze-masters kwezemfundo azithola e-University of Southern California.
Iminyaka emihlanu, wasebenza eJoint Educational Project, efundisa ubuciko
ikakhulukazi abafundi abayingcosana futhi baklama ubuciko obuhlukahlukene bamasiko nezandla
izinhlelo nabafundi bakhe. Ubuye wafundisa ezobuciko e-central Juvenile Hall,
okuhlangenwe nakho akukhumbula njengokunzima kakhulu. Lesi sangemuva saqhubeka
ukuzibophezela kwakhe kubantu abasha, okuqinisa isifiso sakhe sokunikeza okuhle
izithombe ezibukwayo zezingane ezimnyama, enye yezakhiwo ezimaphakathi zayo yonke
umsebenzi wobuciko.
Ukuvakashela kwakhe
INigeria ngo-1977 yaba nomthelela omkhulu emsebenzini wayo wobuciko. UmAfrika wakhe
ukuhamba kwaqinisa ukuxhumana kwakhe ngokomzwelo nokhokho bakhe futhi kwaqina
umbono wakhe wokuthi ama-Afrika aseMelika kumele abheke e-Afrika njengomthombo wobunikazi,
ukuziqhenya, nokudala.
Kusukela ngo-1978 kuya
okwamanje, usebenzisane nodadewabo ekudaleni nasekusekeleni
ibhizinisi lokukhiqiza ubuciko ngokusekelwe emsebenzini wakhe. Ndawonye, โโbakhiqiza futhi
ukusabalalisa amakhadi, amaphosta, kanye nemikhiqizo efanayo emphakathini, ngalokho
ukuqinisekisa izethameli eziningi zomsebenzi wobuciko we-Honeywood.
Kwakuyi-Honeywood
futhi ithonywe ezinye zezibalo ezihlonishwayo zalelo siko, kuhlanganisa
Jacob Lawrence, Archibald Motley, William H. Johnson, Romare Bearden,
Elizabeth Catlett, Charles White. Lawrence's Migration Series, ye
Ngokwesibonelo, wabonisa okuhlangenwe nakho kwabazali bakhe siqu, okushukumisa okwakhe
ukuzibophezela ekukhumbuleni izimpilo zabantu base-Afrika baseMelika e-Los Angeles
nakwezinye izindawo.
Ukubukwa kwe-Honeywood
imisebenzi yakhe njengemibhalo ebonakalayo ukwakha irekhodi lomlando wase-Afrika
Ukuhlupheka nokunqoba kwaseMelika. Kuye, le nhloso ibonisa eyakhe
ukuhlonzwa komoya wokuqaphela umphakathi kanye nokubhikisha kweminyaka yawo-1960.
Ikholaji yango-1973 iwubonisa kahle lo mbono. โUbugqilaโ
(Umfanekiso 1) ubonisa imvelaphi edabukisayo yomlando wase-Afrika waseMelika entsha
umhlaba. Ephuma emsebenzini wakhe ophoqelelwe ensimini kakotini yaseNingizimu, omnyama
owesilisa phezulu kwesokudla sokuqanjwa uzwakalisa ubuhlungu bakhe obukhulu. Okwakhe
ukusabela kubonisa ubuhlungu babantu bakhe, abaxoshwa kokhokho babo
emazweni asekhaya futhi ahlukunyezwa ekuthobeni nasekululazeni amakhulu eminyaka.
Okuvelayo
Indikimba yendaba emsebenzini kaHoneywood wukudlondlobala kwamasiko abantu abamnyama nakuba
imigoqo yokucindezelwa kwezinhlanga. I-watercolor yakhe yango-1981 enesihloko esithi โClub Alabam:
Phansi eDunbarโ (Umfanekiso 2) uhlanganisa ukwakheka okuqinile, umbala ogqamile,
kanye nokuqukethwe okubalulekile komlando. Isikhathi somdwebo sisukela
ngawo-1940, esekelwe ezinkumbulo ezicacile zabazali bakhe ngezingane zabo
ubudala. Isitatimende esibukwayo sendlela yokuphila emnyama yangaleso sikhathi, umzamo
igqamisa i-Central Avenue e-Los Angeles, bese iyisikhungo esichumayo
Umphakathi wase-Afrika waseMelika. Kubazali bakaHoneywood nezinkulungwane zabanye,
I-Central Avenue yayiyi- indawo yokuhlangana, uzakwabo wasoGwini lwaseNtshonalanga
emigwaqweni ephithizelayo ye-Harlem yaseNew York. Njengoba umsebenzi wembula, abantu
wahamba umgwaqo, ejabulela ukudla, umculo, umdanso, kanye
ukuphila komuntu.
I-Central Avenue
ihehe izikhanyiso ezimnyama ezinkulu kuyo yonke imikhakha. Ngemuva, umdwebi
sibonisa i-Dunbar Hotel, isitobhi esidumile sabaculi abamnyama, abaculi, kanye
abanye abafakiwe kumahhotela amhlophe amakhulu endaweni yaseJim Crow yaseLos
Angeles ekuqaleni kwekhulu lama-20.
Kuwo wonke
Umsebenzi wakhe, u-Honeywood uphinde wasebenzisa ubuciko bakhe ukuveza ubumbano lwakhe oluqinile naye
abesifazane abamnyama emhlabeni wonke. "Owesifazane Olungile" (Umfanekiso 3), i-serigraph
kusukela ngo-1988, ubonisa ngezindlela eziningi umthelela wohambo lwakhe lwase-Afrika. I
umculi uzungeza isithombe ngokuthi โNkyimkyim,โ uphawu lwase-Afrika olusontekayo
yokuqina nokuzivumelanisa nezimo. Esebenzisa amandla akhe ahlaba umxhwele njengo-a
colorist, wethula owesifazane njengokulungele futhi okwazi ngokugcwele ukuphatha noma yikuphi
ubunzima futhi umelane nanoma yibuphi ubunzima. Okubaluleke kakhulu, isithombe siyakhuluma
ngokuqephuza kwabesifazane abasebasha base-Afrika baseMelika, kubo izithiyo ezimbili
ukucwasa ngokwebala nokucwasa ngokobulili kuletha izinselelo ezesabekayo neziqhubekayo zansuku zonke.
Eku โUkuthatha
Ukunakekelwa Kwebhizinisiโ (Umdwebo 4), i-Honeywood ihlonza futhi igubhe i
indima yepolitiki yabesifazane abamnyama eMelika. Kusukela kumnyakazo wokuqeda nya ukuya
imizabalazo yamalungelo omphakathi yakamuva namanje, laba besifazane abangamaqhawe
banikeze kokubili ubuholi kanye nekhono lenhlangano ekulweleni
ubulungiswa bezombangazwe nezenhlalakahle. Kule kholaji, uveza abesifazane abathathu abasebenza
kanzima ukuphuma ivoti, ukuqinisekisa ukuthi ama-Afrika aseMelika anele ngokwanele
emelelwe emiqhudelwaneni yokhetho yangaleso sikhathi. Idalwe ngo-1983, umsebenzi
ibonise ukwesekwa okuqinile emiphakathini yase-Afrika yaseMelika ngaleso sikhathi
Ukhetho lukaJesse Jackson lokuqokwa kweDemocratic Alliance njengomongameli. I
umkhulu womdwebi, isibonelo, wezwa injabulo enkulu nokwaneliseka
ekwazini ukuvotela umuntu omnyama esikhundleni esiphezulu esizweni.
"Ukunakekela Ibhizinisi" kokubili kubhala iqiniso elingokomlando elikhulu kanye
ikhuthaza abanye abantu besifazane abamnyama ukuthi banwebe ifa lokusebenzisana nabo emphakathini
osisi.
Izinkuni zoju
wandisa umsebenzi wakhe wobuciko ngokugxila kwakhe kwabangaziwa
imisebenzi yokudala yabantu abamnyama ngokujwayelekile. "Kuumba" (Figure 5)
ezifanele (futhi ihlanganisa emsebenzini) igama lesiSwahili elisho ubuciko
futhi idonsela kwesinye sezimiso eziyisikhombisa ze-Kwanzaa ukunikeza ngokuqinile
isithombe esihle samathalenta amaningi abantu bomdabu wase-Afrika. Kulokhu
umzamo wemidiya oxubile, i-Honeywood iveza izibalo ezimbalwa ngokumangazayo
impumelelo yokudala. Uhlanganisa izibonelo ezihlukahlukene zobuciko,
kufaka phakathi izakhiwo, ucwaningo lomlando kanye nokuxhumana, ukuthwebula izithombe,
ukuphrinta, ukubaza, nokudweba. Ngokuphawulekayo, ugqamisa abantu be
imibala yesikhumba ehlukahlukene, umgubho wokuhlukahluka kwabantu abamnyama eMelika
kanye nomhlaba wonke. Ku-"Kuumba," uhlinzeka ngemininingwane futhi
ingemuva elimibalabala lendwangu yaseNtshonalanga Afrika nezimpawu.
Kusikrini sikasilika
ekhiqizwe iNational Black Arts Festival e-Atlanta ngo-1990, ugxile kuyona
ngamagalelo ayingqayizivele futhi ahlukahlukene abantu abamnyama kwezobuciko baseMelika.
"Izizukulwane Zobuhlakani Obudala" (Umfanekiso 6) ubonisa, ukusuka kwesokunxele kuye kwesokudla,
umdansi, umbhali, umdwebi, nomculi. Ngayinye yalezi zobuciko
amabhizinisi anezimpande ezijulile emlandweni wase-Afrika waseMelika. Umfanekiso ngamunye ugqokile
ngezingubo zase-Afrika, ezinezimpawu ezivela ezweni lomama ezikhona ukuze zikhumbuze ababukeli
yezixhumanisi ezingenakuhlukaniswa phakathi kwe-Afrika namadodana ayo namadodakazi e-
I-Diaspora.
Phakathi ku
umdwebo we-acrylic ovusa inkanuko kusukela ngo-1990, i-Honeywood igxeka okwenziwa kabanzi
isimo sengqondo phakathi kwabamhlophe baseMelika mayelana nokungasebenzi kahle komndeni wase-Afrika waseMelika kanye
ukungabi nasibopho. I-โDonโt B-Live the Hypeโ (Umfanekiso 7) iyakuphikisa lokhu
i-stereotype elimazayo ngokuveza insizwa yomndeni emnyama igona ngokufudumele
izingane zakhe ezintathu. Uqashwe futhi uzinikele ngokuphelele kumagugu omndeni ayiqiniso,
indoda iyisibonelo sobudlelwane bothando abantu bazo zonke izinhlanga
izizinda ziyazazisa futhi zizama ukusungula. Indawo emaphakathi ye-Honeywood yi
ngokungaguquki ngamabomu: Ama-Afrika aseMelika-okuncane kunanoma ubani omunye-ukunakekela
ngokujulile ngabantwana babo, naphezu kokusakazwa okubi nokuhlanekezelwe kanjalo
ethuthukiswa kakhulu yimithombo yezokuxhumana ejwayelekile.
Yona kanye isihloko
womdwebo, ngaphezu kwalokho, udlulisela umyalezo othile entsheni yase-Afrika
AmaMelika, ikakhulukazi abesilisa. Umdwebi ubancenga ukuthi bangenzi โBโ
i-hype noma "Phila" i-hype yokungabi nesibopho kwabamnyama. Ngaphezu kwalokho, yena
uqinisa uthando lwakhe ezifundweni zakhe ezithile ngemininingwane ehlukahlukene ku
umsebenzi. Udonsela ukunaka emandleni abo okudala nge
igqamisa ubuciko be-spray-can obunemibala ngemuva. Lokhu kakhulu
ubuciko obuqanjiwe, obuhlanjalazwa kakhulu kwabezindaba njengokucekela phansi impahla nje,
iphinda ngendlela exakayo indikimba emaphakathi yomsebenzi wobuciko. Indodana encane e-
ngezansi kwesokunxele somdwebo ugqoke indondo yase-Afrika, egcizelela
ukuhlonza njalo kweciko i-Afrika njengomthombo wabo bonke abamnyama
okufeziwe, kusukela kwezobuciko kuya ekusekeleni impilo yomndeni.
Ngo 1991,
U-Varnette Honeywood ukhiqize umdwebo owavuma ngasikhathi sinye
ukubaluleka kwemfundo yakhe yasekolishi kanye nobungqabavu obuqhubekayo bomlando
amakolishi abamnyama ngokuvamile. "I-Groundbreaking" (Umdwebo 8) ikhumbula i
Isikhungo esisha se-Camille Cosby Academic e-Spelman College, isipho somusa esivela
UBill noCamille Cosby abagcina i-Art Museum, iSikhungo Sabesifazane, kanye
Umtapowolwazi. Isetshenziswa njengekhava ye- Spelman Alumni News Magazine,
umsebenzi ubonisa, ukusuka kwesobunxele kuya kwesokudla, uCamille Cosby, uMongameli uSpelman
Johnnetta Cole, umakhi wephrojekthi, usihlalo weBhodi Labaphathiswa, a
Umfundi kaSpelman, noBill Cosby. Umhlanganyeli ngamunye emcimbini
siyaziqhenya ngokuzuzisa ngokubanzi kwekolishi ekuhlinzekeni
imfundo kanye nethuba lezizukulwane zabafundi base-Afrika baseMelika. Lokho
Umlayezo unokubaluleka okusondelene komuntu siqu kumculi, ngaphandle kwakhe
isipiliyoni kuSpelman, ubengeke azuze okufanele
ukuqashelwa kwezobuciko okusebenzayo okwamanje uyakujabulela.
Amakhulu eminyaka,
isimiso esithi "Kuumba" senze abantu base-Afrika baseMelika basebenze ngokuzikhandla
ukulungisa imibono engalungile edabukisayo ngomlando wabo, isiko labo,
kanye nobuntu babo uqobo. Izikhulumi ezinobuhlakani, abagqugquzeli bezepolitiki, ababhali,
abaculi, izifundiswa, nabanye abaningi eminyakeni edlule basebenzise amathalente abo ukuze
nikeza ama-akhawunti angokoqobo amaningi okuhlangenwe nakho kwabamnyama. Ubuciko obubonakalayo
qhubeka nokudlala indima enamandla kule nqubo. U-Varnette Honeywood unayo
uthathe isibopho sokwelula isiko lokubuka umphakathi
ukuhlaziya. Ukuzinikela kwakhe okunenjongo nozwela kumasiko,
amasiko, amathemba, kanye nokukhungatheka kwabantu bakhe kuqinisekisa idumela lakhe njengenhlangano
ingcweti ehlukile futhi ebonakalayo. Z
UPaul Von
UBlum ufundisa ubuciko futhi ungumbhali we Umbono Obucayi
(South End Press). Uyavuma ukwesekwa kwalesi sihloko esivela ku-UCLA
I-Institute of American Cultures kanye neCentre for African American Studies.