Joseph was the co-founder of the 1960’s Black Emergency Cultural Coalition in NY-an artists group involved in creating socially conscious artworks. This painting was created in 1968 during the height of America’s war on Vietnam.
CLIFF JOSEPH
Cliff Joseph is a talented African American artist whose unique style and perspective make his work truly stand out in the world of contemporary art. His connection to his African American roots are evident in his work. Topics of identity, black history, and social justice can be seen in his work.
Born in Panama, his parents emigrated to the United States the following year, settling in Harlem, New York. Joseph enrolled in the army and when he returned he he studied at the Pratt Institute in New York, and received a degree in illustration. He also attended Turtle Bay School of Therapy and taught Art Therapy at Pratt Instititute. After participating in the March on Washington and hearing Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. deliver his ringing “I Have a Dream” speech, Joseph’s path was greatly impacted and he decided to get out of commercial art.
In 1968, he co-founded the Black Emergency Cultural Coalition (BECC). The goal of the BECC was to encourage more representation of Black artists in New York City galleries and museums. The group was founded after the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s presented an exhibition entitled Harlem on My Mind. The exhibition had no black artists included and the BECC protested the show,, As a result the museum gave a public apology.
After an uprising in 1971 at the Attica Correctional Facility in New York State, Jospeh helped create an art therapy program for prisoners.
Cliff Joseph’s artwork and his work in art therapy are a powerful expression of his dedication to social activism and giving a voice to the oppressed. The bold topics in his art will live on for decades to come as a statement of the era he lived in.
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