randinicholejoan: EYES:Throne (ABH Prism) & Super Nova Glitter Chrome (Hard Candy) Josephine

randinicholejoan:

EYES:
Throne (ABH Prism) & Super Nova Glitter Chrome (Hard Candy)

Josephine Baker was a famous 1920s entertainer/dancer the first African-American to star in a major motion picture, openly bisexual, considered the Beyonce of her day, a French Resistance agent during WW 2, and civil rights activist. She refused to perform for segregated audiences in the united states so she based most of her career out of France. The descendent of black slaves and native american ancestry she was first married at 13 but by 15 she was in the Harlem Renaissance vaudeville circuit. She left america and it’s racism behind to get he big break, like many black performers, in Europe. She was famous for her erotic dances including the sensational banana skirt dance! Picasso painted her and despite her background she was one of the most successful american entertainers in france. She has a crazy life story & if you like the jazz age, women’s history, black history, or just the history of famous entertainers you should check out the biopic The Josephine Baker Story!

(I decided not to do a Halloween project! But I did decide to do a few portraits - if they came out good- of some really iconic people but a la Randi. Apparently there weren’t as many popular, mainstream black women who were icons or it girls in history. Imagine that ! :P. I could do this project ad infinitum, and with more resources & help the better but until then like always I’ll do what I can with what I got! And take it all a day at a time.)