Credit: Chicago Tribute
ARCHIBALD J. MOTLEY JR.
Artist Background
Archibald J. Motley Jr., a black, classically trained modern artist, knew as a child that he wanted to be an artist. Born in 1891 to Archibald J. Motley Sr. a Pullman Porter and Mary F. Motley a schoolteacher in New Orleans and raised in Chicago, Motley studied art at the Institute of Chicago. In 1928, Motley became the second African-American artist to have a solo exhibition in New York City. He used art to address subjects such as the dignity of mixed-race people, and colorism within the African American community. In 1930, Motley began painting portraits and genre scenes of the African American communites in Chicago. His depiction of contemporary African American social life identified him with the black arts movement known as the Harlem Renaissance, despite the fact he never lived in Harlem. This association is testament that Motley was ahead of his time and that his work continues to resonate with our world today.
