BLK Art Group

rdf:langString BLK Art Group

rdf:langString The BLK Art Group is the name associated with a group of five influential conceptual artists, painters, sculptors and installation artists based in the United Kingdom. Keith Piper, Marlene Smith, Eddie Chambers Claudette Johnson and Donald Rodney were initially based in the English Midlands. The group were all from the British African-Caribbean community and exhibited in 11 group exhibitions in both small and prestigious galleries throughout the country over a four year period from 1981 to 1984. Exhibiting under the title The Pan Afrikan Connection for their shows from the second show at Africa Centre in May 1982 to the 9th show, also at Africa Centre, 12 months later, their work was noted for its boldly political stance, producing dynamic conceptual art that offered a series of inventive critiques on the state of inter-communal, class and gender relations in the UK. They were themselves influenced by a variety of artistic currents including ideas associated with the USA's Black Arts Movement. Donald Rodney, who suffered from sickle cell anaemia (anemia), died aged 36 in 1998.