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: Came about during the Great Migration of black families from Jim Crow Southern states to northern city centers. These city centers were looking for laborers and that is also part of the reason why these families had moved.
: While this movement used the visual language of Modernism, the artists looked to Africa for neo-classical inspiration and personal and cultural pride. -
:Rejected European Modernism's abstract styles of art
:Instead referenced American folk art combined with the realism of Renaissance and Baroque art.
:Commonly involved rural America in their works, most times to celebrate, and occassionally critique as well; as many were employed by the WPA. -
:Inspired by French Realists, heavily critiqued the status quo and the powerful.
:Rural artists rejected the abstraction of Modernism especially believed that they were Modern since their works had political content.
:Urban artists, however, embraced this abstraction and believed they were modern because of this. Celebrated urbanism and industrialization.
:However both sides carried critiques for rural and urban communities through satire.