Abstract
This thesis explores the creative accomplishments of American artist Barkley L.Hendricks and argues that the 1960s and 1970s represented a pivotal moment forfigurative painting in American Art because of its relationship between nationality andrace. In 1967, Stokely Carmichael and Charles V. Hamilton's revolutionary work"BlackPower" exposed the depths of systemic racism in the United States and provided a radicalpolitical framework for reform. I examine Hendricks' artistic efforts and achievementsduring this sociopolitical Movement. In particular, this thesis will investigate thefollowing: the idiosyncrasies in Hendricks' art that demonstrate how the artist'srepresentations of American life, in fact, construct African-American identity within alarger debate about the Black Diaspora; the epistemology of portraiture as means ofinvestigating ethnicity and gender; and finally, the significance of various icons ofAmerican production in the context of Hendricks' artwork.
