Different Shades of Beauty

(Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires by: Mickalene Thomas)

“Graces” or “Charities” are known in greek mythology as minor goddesses who represent characteristics such as charm, beauty, human creativity, nature and fertility. The “three graces” were said to be the daughters of Zeus as well as the entourage of Aphrodite (the goddess of love). To depict these women in high art has been popular for centuries and the trend stretches so far back that the artist and date of the very first portrait is unknown. More recently, in 2011 Mickalene Thomas created her own interpretation of the “Three Graces” formally naming it “Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires” meaning the three black women. Through blending her pop art style of vibrant acrylic and eye catching rhinestone with a classical image of the “Three Graces” Mickalene Thomas simultaneously embraces the post-black art form by creating her unique rendition and showing how beauty, charm and creativity transcends skin tone.

Mickalene Thomas is a face very much associated with the post-black movement. Post-black is an African American art form that pushes to dispel the past ideas associated with black art. More specifically this category of art wishes to erase race from specific areas of art so it will not hinder the growth of black art nor put boundaries on it. What is often the case, post-black artists will take a piece of art labeled as “white” and create a brand new version where that notion is removed. The term  "post-black" was first coined in the early 90’s and later elaborated on in 2001 by Thelma Golden when she describes these type of artists as “adamant about not being labeled ‘black’ artists, though their work was steeped, in fact deeply interested, in redefining complex notions of blackness.” This style has gone beyond art and into music where young black people are impacted daily. Whereas in the past, music has been used for black individuals to be noticed, the roles have now started to shift for them to use music to impact others. In the same way Mickalene Thomas has used her influences such as her mother and her particular styles to encourage others that race is irrelevant. Her version of the “Three Graces” is a perfect example.

(Mickalene Thomas's mother)

Different aspects of Thomas’s portrait “Three Graces: Les Trois Femmes Noires” are individually significant to better understand her work as a whole. The women depicted exhibit the 1970’s in their wardrobe. To answer why Mickalene Thomas chose this time period, background information is key. Mickalene was born in 1971 meaning a major portion of her childhood was submerged in the seventies culture. Her mother embodied what it meant to be a black woman in the seventies. Growing up Mickalene looked at her mother as a role model, she describes her as a person that people gravitate towards because of the energy she radiated. She was strong, stylish, and comfortable with who she was; a trend that permeated black women in that time period. Transitioning into a new era, much different from the sixties riddled with inequality, black women found a new voice in the seventies that was unashamed. I can imagine the new found freedom these women had to leave their fingerprints on the culture. Confidence illuminated through their vibrant style, as well as dialogue filled with fervor. What is extremely admirable about them and relevant to why Mickalene chose them, is their redefining of beauty. Beauty no longer had to be straight hair instead it could be poofy with volume. Beauty no longer had to be restricted to fair skin, it could include darker complexions also. I hope you see now why she chose the seventies. What better way to change the ancient greek portrayal of the “Three Graces” than with the time period labeled as the “pivot of change”. 

(examples of pop art)

Her mother continued to impact her childhood by enrolling her and her brother in an after school art program in New York. Being exposed to new styles is fundamental in molding an artist’s personal art style. For Mickalene she took a liking to pop art. Emerging in the late fifties in the US, pop art became a popular new art form. The foundation of pop art was celebrating everyday life through popular culture. Prior to pop art, the culture of art was centered around high art, which was geared toward the aristocrats of the day. Reserved for people with a background on morality, mythology, and classic history, high art hindered many people from relating and enjoying art. Now if we focus on the pop art styling of Thomas’s “Three Graces” we can see why she used this style. Mickalene is trying to convey the same message with taking a high style form of art, such as the Graces, and give it a context that is more understandable. With her vision to see the connection between ancient art and modern day pop art is perfect for reintroducing this classic image in a way many can relate. By using pop art she further cements her role in the world of post-black art. She clearly demonstrates that no art form is off limits due to the past roles of blacks in art.

It is very hard to notice online, but after examining this piece in person intricacies are noticed such as the rhinestones and acrylic paint. Both of these are critical with selling the idea of pop art. She uses materials that have not been associated with such a work and they really make the portrait pop off the wall. Vibrant colors catch the eye, which was not the case of the earth tones in previous renditions. The rhinestones mean much more than an added layer of shine. The glistening stones represent the abstract beauty that these black female figures possess. They could also be a portrayal of special energy these women radiated. Yes the rhinestones are on the jewelry, which is where most onlookers would expect to see them, however they cover the dresses also demonstrating that beauty is not always in the place we expect it to be. By placing rhinestones on the exterior of the ladies, Mickalene Thomas highlights the smooth texture of the women’s skin using acrylic and this technique was important to show that the exterior of women should not hide beauty but rather illuminate it.

Other features that should be pointed out is the collage added to the portrait. A collage is the assembling of various pieces to make up a whole. The use of a collage in this particular case is symbolic. American Art author Derek Conrad Murray states: "In Thomas’s photographs and paintings, the charade of beauty is in violent struggle with the complexities of identity". Beauty is found in a variety of different ways and when combined they depict the beauty of a woman. In the same way her collage is exhibiting how a variety of different pieces come together and form a picture of beauty, charm and creativity. Mickalene also has the women embracing each other through touch. The “Three Graces” in the past have had the graces huddled with arms around one another. Something unique in this latest version is the three black women are simply touching with fingers. In my opinion I believe this slight variation represents how black women have evolved to become more independent and unique in today’s age.

Black women and black art have come a long way in the past decades. As seen through this art by Thomas, women have changed and made their voices heard just recently as the seventies. The concept of post-black art was made around the time I was born and I am only eighteen. It is fabulous to see how Mickalene brings these two recent phenomenons into the light with a piece of art that has been around forever; the “Three Graces”. Pulling from inspirations such as pop art and her mother, Mickalene Thomas combines these with her use of acrylic and rhinestones to create beauty that is not chained by complexion.

Works Cited

Murray, Derek Conrad. "Mickalene Thomas." American Art 28, no. 1 (2014): 9-15. Accessed November 11, 2015. doi:10.1086/676624.

Taylor, Paul C. "Post-Black, Old Black." African American Review 41, no. 4 (2007): 625-40. Accessed November 11, 2015. http://www.jstor.org.prox.lib.ncsu.edu/stable/25426981?pq-origsite=summon&seq=1#page_scan_tab_contents.

Sargent, Antwan. "Post-Black Art in the Age of Hip-Hop | VICE | United States." VICE. December 12, 2014. Accessed November 11, 2015. http://www.vice.com/read/post-black-art-in-the-age-of-hip-hop-123.

Jackson, Millie. A Little Taste Of Outside Love. Ace Records, 2007. MP3.

Lauren Fannin, "Theorizing Black Femininity" (master's thesis, Georgia State University), 1-19.