Explore artist Mickalene Thomas as she creates positive change through collage

The work of contemporary artist Mickalene Thomas has appeared in various forms and in places that go beyond the expected museum gallery wall. Known for her vibrant use of collage to center and celebrate Black women, Thomasâ€s work has existed in mediums such as film, installations, public murals, and editorials, such as Cardi Bâ€s 2018 W magazine cover and Time magazineâ€s March 2020 cover celebrating 100 years of influential women, in which Thomas was selected to honor trans rights activist Marsha P. Johnson. Thomasâ€s work has even appeared as a limited handbag, when she collaborated with French luxury brand Dior to re-envision their iconic Lady Dior bag in 2019. 

Our Distance Learning Pack, Signature Style in Art and Album Covers, introduces students to the multitalented artistâ€s signature collage style and its use in the limited edition cover of singer-songwriter Solangeâ€s 2012 EP True. 

In the Distance Learning Pack, students are first introduced to Thomas and her influences. Thomas†influences are aplenty as they include French modernists, Édouard Manet, Henri Mattise, Harlem renaissance artists Jacob Lawrence and collagist Romare Bearden, and the notable photographer Carrie Mae Weems, who Mickalene Thomas has photographed for T magazine in 2018. Many of the artists Thomas cite as influences can be seen in her work, including the one students are asked to analyze in the Distance Learning Pack. The 2010 piece Le déjeuner sur l'herbe: les trois femmes noires (The Luncheon on the Grass: The Three Black Women), is a direct reference to Manetâ€s 1893 work Le déjeuner sur lâ€herbe (The Luncheon on the Grass). Thomas†take on the Manet piece features three Black women in a similar composition to Manetâ€s, however all three figures meet the viewerâ€s gaze, whereas Manetâ€s nude female figure is the only one staring back at the viewer amongst two fully clothed male figures that seem to be in conversation with each other. Thomas†forgoes the traditional thatâ€s exemplified in Manet by implementing collage with various colorful patterns, featuring only female subjects who are fully clothed, and using materials like rhinestones. Students are asked about the details and motifs in Thomas†work before describing the work in their own words. 

After the mini art history lesson on Thomas as an artist, students then dive into her work with Solange and the limited edition version of the 2012 EP True. Solange commissioned Thomas for the cover that features the singer, outfitted in a stripe blazer and blue and pink printed pants, laying on a multi patterned floral sofa amongst a collage of other bold patterns and objects. Students are asked to identify and describe the patterns or objects they see, compare the EP cover to the Thomas work they saw earlier, and list words that come to mind when looking at the cover. Theyâ€re then invited to predict what the music might sound like based on the EP cover before viewing the music video for the lead single, “Losing You.” The music video for “Losing You” was directed by award winning director Melina Matsoukas, who is known for directing other videos, such as Rihannaâ€s “We Found Love” and Beyoncéâ€s “Formation.” Filmed in Cape Town, South Africa, students can identify the bold and vibrant colors that exist in the video due to its location. The distance learning packâ€s focus on Mickalene Thomas and Solange concludes with asking students to compare the styles of the song and video to Thomas†work, along with asking them to explain why Solange might have chosen Thomas to create the cover for True using examples from what they wrote earlier. 
Signature Style in Art and Album Covers aims to not only introduce students to cool contemporary artists and their versatility as an artist like Mickalene Thomas, but also show how artists, both visual and in music, can establish their artistic identity through their work and the work of those that inspire them.