Black Art: In the Absence of Light

2021

Documentary

List

92%

12 Reviews

Tomatometer

62%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Inspired by the late David Driskell's landmark 1976 exhibition, "Two Centuries of Black American Art," the documentary Black Art: In the Absence of Light offers an illuminating introduction to the work of some of the foremost Black visual artists working today.

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Audience Member

An invaluable introduction to works by the likes of Kara Walker, Faith Ringgold, and Kerry James Marshall, even if it really loses something when it becomes paean to the wealthy collector class.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

01/30/23

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Samuel D. Pollard

Director

Theaster Gates

Actor

Kerry James Marshall

Actor

Faith Ringgold

Actor

Amy Sherald

Actor

Carrie Mae Weems

Actor

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Peter Keough

Boston Globe

This is an essential and revelatory glimpse at the accomplishments of today's Black artists.

Feb 9, 2021

Full Review

Sebastian Smee

Washington Post

The most compelling moments of "Black Art" put us in the company of artists, usually in their studios, sometimes installing works in exhibitions or fielding questions from small kids at openings.

Feb 9, 2021

Full Review

Brian P. Kelly

Wall Street Journal

The film never dips into saccharine platitudes, and it is unafraid to examine the defects within artistic movements that, while fighting for racial justice, had their own blindspots.

Feb 9, 2021

Full Review

Seph Rodney

Hyperallergic

Unwittingly demonstrates what a community gives up when it strives toward the mainstream.

Mar 22, 2021

Full Review

Wade Major

FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)

Absolutely one of the best documentaries I've ever seen about art... Superb.

Feb 13, 2021

Full Review

Roger Catlin

rogercatlin.com

It's both a comprehensive overview and a visual delight at a time when museums are still shuttered.

Feb 12, 2021

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Synopsis

Inspired by the late David Driskell's landmark 1976 exhibition, "Two Centuries of Black American Art," the documentary Black Art: In the Absence of Light offers an illuminating introduction to the work of some of the foremost Black visual artists working today.

Director: Samuel D. Pollard
Executive Producer: Henry Louis Gates, Jacqueline Glover
Genre: Documentary
Original Language: English
Release Date (Streaming): Feb 9, 2021