Romare Bearden: Bayou Fever & Related Work

In 1979, artist Romare Bearden created a series of 21 collages for a dance that he hoped would be choreographed and performed by Alvin Ailey, which it never was. Bayou Fever is an artistic achievement nonetheless, representing African-American traditions, particularly as they pertain to the Louisiana bayou, the Caribbean and North America as a whole. The vibrant, colorful collages tell a story about the struggle between good and evil, and as is characteristic of Bearden’s work, images of powerful women are a central theme.