Fundi (Billy) Abernathy
Fundi (Billy) Abernathy | |
|---|---|
| Born | Billy Abernathy 1939 |
| Died | 2016 (aged 76–77) |
| Nationality | American |
| Other names | Fundi Abernathy |
| Occupation | photographer |
| Notable work | Wall of Respect |
| Spouse | |
Billy Abernathy (1939–2016)[1] was an American photographer. He was married to Laini (Sylvia) Abernathy, an artist and activist.
History
[edit]During his lifetime he officially changed him name to Fundi.[2] Billy (Fundi) Abernathy was associated with the AfriCOBRA.[3]
Around the 1970s, both him and his wife Sylvia changed their names to Fundi Abernathy and Laini Abernathy with the purpose of "africanizing their name".[4] Alongside his wife, Abernathy worked documenting African American Black culture in the South Side of Chicago. Billy (Fundi) Abernathy was associated with the AfriCOBRA, a group of black artists who worked in Chicago seeking a way of bringing light to black communities in visual arts.
Career
[edit]Billy Abernathy collaborated on the Wall of Respect, an outdoor mural, with his wife, Sylvia. He worked alongside artists Elliott Hunter and Jeff Donaldson on the Wall's "Jazz" section as well as the "Rhythm and Blues" section.[1] Together, they worked on creating a photograph based mural of The Wall scattered around different areas of Chicago.[1] Abernathy was also associated with the Organization of Black American Culture (OBAC); he was one of the photographer members.[1]
Fundi Abernathy was one of the photographers featured in the Art Institute's 2018 exhibit "Never a Lovely So Real: Photography and Film in Chicago, 1950–1980".[5] One of the featured photographs of Abernathy's was "The Screen", shot in 1967. Other words found in the Art Institute of Chicago are: "Mother's Day", "The Robe", and "Chicago".[6] In 1966, he photographed for Roscoe Mitchell Sextet's Album cover, Delmark which his wife designed.[7][8] Fundi also worked on the multi media book "In Our Terribleness" with Amiri Baraka.[1][7][9]
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d e Alkalimat, Abdul; Crawford, Romi; Zorach, Rebecca (2017). The Wall of Respect: Public Art and Black Liberation in 1960s Chicago. Evanston, Illinois: Northwestern University Press. ISBN 978-0-8101-3593-2.
- ^ "A Brief History of AfriCOBRA". Swann Galleries News. 2020-04-15. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Jarrell, Wadsworth A. (2020-05-08). AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art toward a School of Thought. Duke University Press. ISBN 978-1-4780-0224-6.
- ^ "Laini and Fundi (Sylvia and Billy) Abernathy - Race and the Design of American Life - The University of Chicago Library". www.lib.uchicago.edu. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "Never a Lovely So Real: Photography and Film in Chicago, 1950–1980". The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ "Billy Abernathy". The Art Institute of Chicago. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ a b Welborn, Ron (1971-02-14). "Reviving soul in Newark, N. J." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-10-26.
- ^ Lupton, Ellen (2021-02-22). "Laini Abernathy, Black Graphic Designer". Smithsonian Magazine. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
- ^ Welborn, Ron (1971-02-14). "Reviving soul in Newark, N. J." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2022-04-13.
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