Jonkonnu Festival
Vincent Smith
- 1996
- Color offset lithograph
- Image/sheet: 21 1/2 x 30"
- 2009-61-80
About the Work
This print depicts a celebration of Jonkonnu, an animal masquerade and dance tradition dating back to the time of African slavery in the 17th century. It’s associated with Jamaica and other islands in the Caribbean, as well as some southern areas of the United States. Usually held around Christmas, Jonkonnu provided enslaved people the opportunity to abandon their harsh labors for a day of festivity, parading with music and dance drawn from their African origins.Hear the music! Feel the rhythm! Move to the beat! In this image, Smith captures the energy of African folk dance. The momentum begins at the top of this image and grows as marchers strut with their arms, feet, and hips in motion. Pulsating with rhythm, drama, and wit, Jonkonnu is a mimed performance with each character in elaborate costume. Cowhead, the main role, is recognized by its long horns; here, it strides across the foreground on stilts. With undulating lines, jazzy patterns, and bright colors, Jonkonnu Festival celebrates a cultural tradition that helped sustain a people through difficult times of oppression centuries ago.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
In a career that spanned half a century, painter Vincent Smith documented in brilliant color some of the most compelling events in 20th-century America. From the bebop-fueled improvisation of 1940s Harlem jazz clubs, to the visceral tug of Civil Rights workers confronting deep-seated hate with soul-clearing hope, to the creative militancy of the Black Arts Movement, Smith was there, brush in hand, bearing witness. “A figurative painter with an often subtle, social thrust, he placed his subjects in a stylized way against geometric, textured and intricately colored backgrounds,” noted the New York Times. “I always knew that I was either going to do something or do nothing,” he told American Visions. “And when I thought of myself as a painter, I dreamed of myself as a great painter.” He succeeded.
—From https://biography.jrank.org/pages/2432/Smith-Vincent-D.html, accessed on 7-27-2021
“And when I thought of myself as a painter, I dreamed of myself as a great painter.”
—Vincent Smith, 1999
Let's Look
- What is the mood of this scene? How do the lines, shapes, and colors as well as the people and costumes help create this feeling?
- How many instruments can you find? What other kinds of sounds might you hear?
- Smith includes a clock near the center of the scene. What are some of the different meanings it could have?
- How would you feel as a spectator or performer in this festival?
Vincent Smith
American
Born New York City, 1929
Died New York City, 2003
About the Artist
Vincent Smith was a printmaker and painter from Brooklyn, New York. He attended the Brooklyn Museum Art School; State University of New York, Saratoga, where he received a bachelor’s degree;and Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture, Madison, ME.
Smith, who preferred narrative subjects, frequently depicted stories of African American life, including themes from the civil rights movement of the 1960s and 1970s. He traveled extensively throughout Africa, the Caribbean, and Latin America. Smith frequently employed vibrant colors and stylized figures against patterned backgrounds. He had more than 25 solo exhibitions and took part in over 30 group exhibitions. In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a prominent member of New York City’s Black Arts Movement and the Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop in Lower Manhattan.
—From Brandywine Workshop and Archives records
Curriculum Connections
Suggested Topics for Art Projects, Group Discussion, and Independent Writing
Art
Mixed Media
Think about a festival or street celebration that you and your family may have attended, read about, or seen on TV. Combine paint and collage materials to make a lively mixed-media composition that graphically captures the festival and energy with bright colors, lines, and shapes.
Read and Compare
Read Amy Littlesugar's Jonkonnu, a children's book based on the sketchbook of American artist Winslow Homer. Set in Virginia after the American Civil War, it captures a rare US version of the Jonkonnu festival. Compare and contrast the illustrations in this book with Vincent Smith's print. Track your findings on a Venn diagram.
Language Arts
On-the-Scene Report
Play the role of a TV reporter at the scene of Smith's Jonkonnu Festival in Brooklyn, New York, in 1996. Write your report of the event for the local station. Make sure to interview the participants and the onlookers as well as summarize the action and mood of the crowd.
In Your Opinion
"And when I thought of myself as a painter, I dreamed of myself as a great painter."
Think about Smith's quote about his artwork. In your opinion, does Jonkonnu Festival reflect the spirit of his words? How? If not, why not?
Social Studies
Slavery
Research the triangular route of the African slave trade. Find out when slavery ended throughout the Caribbean compared to the United States.
Jonkonnu
Research this festival. What are its roots? How was it celebrated? What was its significance?