"Sunset and Moonrise-Maudell Sleet" (1978), Romare Bearden

Have you ever had one of those days when you realize that at any given moment your brain is overwhelmingly consumed with processing information, some of it useful, some of it not so much? This week has been a series of these moments for me. And how desperate I've been to find a reset button underneath the back of my shirt...wishful thinking I suppose. What I have found instead, are my running shoes, equipped with arch support, and this blog. In case you were wondering, I love to run but what I love more is art. What better way for me to reset than to learn about art that speaks truth and the artists that have changed the way people think. Writer, painter and collage artist, Romare Bearden (September 2, 1911 - March 12, 1988), is no exception.

Romare Bearden was born in Charlotte, North Carolina and moved to New York as a toddler during the Harlem Renaissance Era. With great distinction, his work captured the voice, dreams, and legacies of African American communities and the inter workings of the human spirit. Bearden is best known for his abstract works that address inequalities and social consciousness. What I find most compelling about Mr. Bearden's abstract pieces is that whenever I study their composition, I can almost immediately identify my own personal stories in his work. How's that for clarity? Pretty incredible, right? You can learn more about Romare Bearden here and here. Talk soon.