Archibald Motley's jazz age paintings on view at LACMA

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On view at LACMA, Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist, presents the work of the Chicago based artist active during the Harlem Renaissance and the rise of jazz.

Motley's work offers a modern view of black life and culture, depicting these scenes with an air of calm, self-assured confidence that was new to this subject matter at the time.

Although he spent much of his life in Chicago, Motley also traveled to Paris and Mexico where he was influenced by the Parisian jazz age and the golden era of Mexican Cinema. 

Archibald Motley: Jazz Age Modernist is a traveling exhibition primarily curated by Richard Powell – art history professor at Duke University – in conjunction with LACMA curators. As Motley is relatively unknown outside of the Chicago area, the exhibit hopes to call attention to his talent.

The exhibition runs through Feb. 1.