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"
Royal Echoe's"Acrylic on Canvas 27 x 37
Hand Pulled Silk ScreenPulled
by Lou Stovall
The Civil Rights Series
Words can little describe the magnitude of the American Civil Rights
movement -- the spirit, the courage of a people, the sacrifices, the joys, the suffering -- and the lives that endured and
survived incredible extraordinary events. Artist Anthony Armstrong has endeavored to paint for you the images and memories
of the experiences that he was blessed to live through as a child. The first of Six images is "First Day". The image
portray's Ruby Bridges, the first African American to intergrate the New Orleans Public School System. Each image is hand
pulled by Lou Stovall, master printer and noted Artist. This is sure to be a collectors item and will enhance any collection.
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The new images in the imaginative paintings of Anthony Armstrong are weighted down to the earth and imbued with
a psychological and spiritual identity based on human experience. African American history and culture are the subject matter
for most of the recent paintings by Armstrong. The paintings are now more allegorical as well as symbolic and meant to reflect
different aspects of African American people and their struggle. “I try to create images that appeal to the senses,
intellect as well as historic pride ”Whether out of an act of defiance or an act of nature, or perhaps both I have tried
to establish myself as one of the foremost contemporary abstract painters on the art scene. As a child I was encouraged to
"make picture"s by my Mother. Growing up in the Segregated South, in DeLand Florida, the son of a migrant worker
and a "Days work maid, the prospect of using my God given talents in a professional Artistic capacity seemed bleak. It
has always been my desire to share those talents with others. Through hard work, academic training and painterly ambition,
I have been blessed to achieve my lifes dream. I strive daily to continue my lifes work and dedicate myself to conveying the
concerns, sentiments and beauty of African Americans. In the tradition of artist such as Aaron Douglas, Romare Bearden, and
Pablo Picasso, I continue to interpret Realism, Cubism and Afrocentric Iconography. With the use of geometric formulas, harmonious
color compositions and design motifs I endeavor to fulfill principles of meaningful spatial relationships. It is my hope to
create a painting style unlike any other. I continue to be inspired by stories from the bible, recent African American History,
and my spiritual awareness.
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