Leaf Forms #8 (Copy)

“The goal of the artist must be aesthetic development”, said Norman Lewis, “And in a universal sense, to make in his own way some contribution to culture.” These two concepts – aesthetic expression and cultural reflection – define Lewis’ career of two halves. Born to two Bermudan parents in Harlem, Lewis discovered a passion art through a mentee relationship with Augusta Savage when he was working in a textile shop and tailor above her studio. Lewis began to paint social realism, depicting the scenes in Harlem with spirit and energy. Yet he struggled to capture the social conflict and communicate the truth of his existence through figurative work. It was out of this dissatisfaction that Lewis turned to the burgeoning Abstract Expressionism movement. He felt that his art was not able to make the social change he needed, and a dissatisfaction with post-war America led him to reject realism in favour of purely aesthetic work. Yet, despite his suggestions that these works rejected social issues, they are laden with both anger and beauty, reflecting politics implicitly in their feeling.