The ShoemakerJacob Lawrence, was one of the most creative and extraordinary artists of the 20th century. He died on June 9, 2000 at the age of 82. Jacob's experience and use of the Cubist style, pioneered by Pablo Picasso and Georges Braque, made him one of the first artists of color to receive world-renowned recognition at the age of 21. Jacobs further defined his style as dynamic cubism. Using bold water-based paints, angular shapes on boards and paper were his self-taught methods of expressing his designs. Jacob's interpretations of "urban experience" are simple but complex in that each considers human experience. Growing up in Harlem, Jacobs' creations often captured the beauty and challenges he faced. This is often evoked in the faces of the images which are artfully pressed onto the paper. I chose to describe Jacob Lawrence because of the theme of relatable characteristics that each painting I examined reminded me of. For example, Jacobs' Barber Shop rendering turned my mind to thoughts that remind me of the simpler times of my youth. I spent hours at the hairdresser listening to all the stories and news of the day. Many of my family members owned paintings similar to Lawrence's style and looking at Mr. Lawrence's work exudes a certain familiarity that I find comforting. Additionally, his attention to color, pattern, and search for details before producing a painting certainly sparked my interest in becoming more familiar with the man and his works. His works have most recently been seen at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art, Nebraska at the Sheldon Memorial Art Gallery and the Museum of Modern Art (Phillips Collection)Description/AnalysisI have chosen to analyze Lawrence's work "The Shoemaker". The shoemak...... middle of paper ......Works Cited Bearden, Romare, Sam Gilliam, Jr., Richard Hunt, Jacob Lawrence, Tom Lloyd, William Williams, and Hale Woodruff. “The Black Artist in America: A Symposium.” Bulletin of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, v.27, no. 5 (January 1969). Josef Albers and Ad Reinhardt to Ives-Sillman. Romare Bearden and Harry B. Henderson, Jr., A “History of African American Artists,” p. 300. Nesbett L77-5.Lawrence, Jacob. “Jacob Lawrence talks about color.” Jacob Lawrence: Over the line. Ed. Flash. Phillips Collection, 2001. canvas. March 12, 2009. Lawrence, Jacob, The Shoemaker, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, 1945. Paul, Stella. "Modern storytellers: Romare Bearden, Jacob Lawrence, Faith Ringgold". In Heilbrunn Chronology of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/most/hd_most.htm (October 2004)