Charles Henry Alston played a significant role in the Black arts community in New York for over fifty years. His Harlem studio was a prominent center for black artists and cultural workers during the 1930s. His paintings, large-scale murals, and sculptures encompassed various styles, yet they all shared a sense of monumentality and dynamism. This sculptural perception was evident even in small-scale prints, as in the dancer series. Many of his paintings showcased a sculptural perception of large shapes and volumes, lending his figures a monumental quality, even in smaller artworks. Alston had the opportunity to closely examine African artworks when he assisted Alain Locke, the author of the canonical book "The New Negro," in organizing an extensive exhibition on African art at the 135th St Public Library. His direct tactile contact with African sculpture became influential in his own sculptural works. During Prohibition, Alston immersed himself in jazz and spent time with Ethel Waters and Billie Holiday at speakeasies. His time at John Hammond's legendary jazz recording studio, where he listened to sessions featuring Chu Berry, Bessie Smith, and many other jazz artists, translated into vibrant works capturing the essence of jazz. His paintings of blues singers, jazz musicians, and dancers possessed a rhythmic quality inherent in African painting and sculpture. Alston had a strong connection to the jazz world, designing record covers for Duke Ellington. From the 1930s to the 1950s, his works were heavily influenced by the music and dance scene in Harlem. Alston also collaborated with Hale Woodruff, who was previously featured on this page, on a large-scale mural depicting the working-class Black history of California. As an educator during the 1970s at the Art Students League and City College of New York, he continued to inspire a generation of artists, including Jacob Lawrence and Robert Rauschenberg.

Charles Alston, Lindy Hop at the Savoy, circa late 1930s

The text and image was taken from the page @Jazz_x_the_arts -- a page devoted for cultural and social history of Jazz and Lindy Hop through visual arts created by dancer/art historian @defnekirmizi