In addition to having varied intellectual interests, Romare Howard Bearden had diverse artistic ones. The artist experimented with various media and styles, but he is probably best known for his unique collages. Village of Yo is a socially and politically minded collage that relates to the events in the United States during the Civil Rights era. For Bearden, the African American experience is built upon a foundation of both Africa and Europe: the artist juxtaposes abstract human heads, which reflect the influence of Cubism and African masks, with the crenellations and arches of European architecture, seen in the structures in the lower right and upper left. Combined, these images illustrate how African and European history have worked together to shape the African American experience.