William h johnson 1901 1970 draft

William H. Johnson (March 18, 1901 – April 13, 1970) was an American artist whose work, inspired by the Harlem Renaissance of the early 20th Century, portrays the experience of Black Americans who took part in the Great Migration from the Southern States at the end of the First World War.

Johnson’s creative dexterity, whether through the medium of woodcuts, oil, water colour, pen and ink, or serigraphy, produced some of the very best examples of folk art and primitivism in America during the 20th Century. Harnessing influences from across the globe, Johnson managed to adeptly capture the North-South consciousness experienced by African Americans of his generation.

William h johnson 1901 1970 draft date

Johnson was born on March 18th, 1901, in a small town called Florence in South Carolina. His parents, Henry Johnson, and Alice Smoot were very poor, and Johnson went to school at the all-black Wilson School in his hometown.

Johnson was probably introduced to art at this time by his t