Spiral (arts alliance)
| Company type | Artist collective |
|---|---|
| Industry | Visual arts |
| Founded | July 5, 1963 |
| Founder | Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff |
| Defunct | 1965 |
Area served | United States |
Key people | Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff |
Spiral was an assembly of African-American artists established by Romare Bearden, Charles Alston, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff on July 5, 1963. The term also denotes the exhibition Spiral: Perspectives on an African-American Art Collective.
History
Operating between 1963 and 1965, Spiral's participants convened weekly to explore the involvement of African-American artists in politics, the civil rights movement, and the wider art scene, organizing a single group exhibition during this period. Their discussions centered on themes related to the African American experience and its artistic representation.
The group originated when Bearden and Woodruff invited fellow artists to gather in Bearden's loft, initially concentrating on practical matters such as coordinating transportation for the 1963 March on Washington. Their attention gradually moved toward artistic concerns, embracing what writer Ralph Ellison described as a "new visual order." Although members were at varying points in their careers, they were united by a shared dedication to articulating their role within the civil rights movement through creative expression.
Prior to Spiral's inception, most of its members predominantly created figurative works, while some began exploring abstraction as collaborative efforts intensified. Bearden suggested producing a collage; however, given the range of techniques and materials used by the group, multiple artistic methods were pursued to effect social change. Despite its brief existence, Spiral stood as a groundbreaking effort advocating for cultural participation in social justice.
Their only exhibition, titled First Group Showing: Works in Black and White, was held from May 14 to June 4, 1965, at their venue on Christopher Street. This show was a response to the marginalization of African-American artists by major art institutions. The choice of a black-and-white palette reflected both political statements and formal artistic concerns, as indicated by Bearden.
Following the group's dissolution, Spiral received minimal recognition within mainstream art historical narratives. Interest in the collective was revived after a 2010–2011 exhibition in Birmingham and New York, which underscored Spiral's formation amid social upheaval and showcased the varied artistic reactions of its members.
Artists
- Charles Alston – educator, painter, sculptor, and illustrator
- Emma Amos – artist specializing in painting and mixed media
- Romare Bearden – creator of collages, watercolors, oil paintings, and prints
- Ernest Crichlow – illustrator and painter
- Calvin Douglass – visual artist focused on painting
- Perry Ferguson – painter
- Reginald Gammon – works in oils, watercolors, sketches, and printmaking
- Felrath Hines – practitioner of abstract expressionism
- Alvin Hollingsworth – comic artist and painter
- Norman Lewis – painter
- William Majors – creator of drawings, paintings, paper collages, and three-dimensional canvases
- Richard Mayhew – painter
- Earl Miller – artist working with painting and pencil sketches
- Merton Simpson – abstract art specialist
- Hale Woodruff – muralist, painter, and printmaker
- James Yeargans – painter
Name
The collective was named "Spiral" by Woodruff, inspired by the Archimedean spiral which represents expansion in all directions while ascending. This title symbolized the members’ varied artistic approaches alongside their unified aspirations as African American artists.
Exhibitions
The exhibition Spiral: Perspectives on an African-American Art Collective was presented at the Birmingham Museum of Art from December 5, 2010, to April 17, 2011, curated by Emily G. Hanna and Amalia Amaki. It subsequently traveled to the Studio Museum in Harlem, where it was displayed from July 14 to October 23, 2011. Additionally, Spiral: American Masters was featured at Evolve the Gallery between April 12 and May 24, 2014, accompanied by a comprehensive catalog.
External links
- Spiral Perspective on an African-American Art Collective at the Birmingham Museum of Art
- Studio Museum Harlem
- Art Topics: “Romare Bearden and SPIRAL” 2010
- Text from pamphlet for Spiral’s sole exhibition from The Art Newspaper