Artists: Emory Douglas
Location: The Outsiders - London
Dates: Thursday 18th of August 2011 to Saturday 10th of September 2011
The Outsiders London is proud to present an exhibition showcasing the works of revolutionary artist Emory Douglas.
Emory Douglas is a pivotal figure in the development of political graphic art. Appointed ‘Minister for Culture’ for the Black Panthers in 1967, he became in-house illustrator for the quasi-revolutionary civil rights movement’s eponymous newspaper. Douglas’ instantly recognisable graphics filled the incendiary journal and would form its back page, a ‘cut out and paste up’ propaganda poster.
A cornerstone of the Black Panthers until their dissolution in the early 1980s, Douglas was one of the first agitants to use the visual language of the right wing to express the ideas of the left. His powerful pieces swapped hand-wringing for aggression and victim status for insurgency. Using a strong but consistent, simple yet brutal visual style Douglas’ artwork defined the Black Panther’s pride, resourcefulness and charisma. The illustrations’ accompanying battle cries, including ‘all power to the people’, ‘in revolution one wins and one dies’ and ‘seize the times’, entered the lexicon of a generation.
