This is the first publication to survey the entirety of this hugely
influential scholar and artist's groundbreaking 60-year career. Driskell
and his landmark exhibition, Two Centuries of Black American Art are
also featured in a recently released major documentary film.
David Driskell (1931-2020) was one of the most revered and
boundary-breaking American artists, long recognized for his vibrant and
versatile painting and printmaking practice, which combined his sharp
observation of American landscapes and his interest in the imagery and
aesthetic innovations of the African diaspora. Driskell was equally
well-known as a curator, art historian, and educator, and his career as
both artist and scholar created a durable public record of the long
history of art made by African Americans.
The exhibition and accompanying catalogue survey seven decades of the
artist's painterly practice from the 1950s forward. Driskell's command
of color and line is showcased through his beloved subjects, including
the natural world, remembrances of the Southern Black experience, and
the Black Christian church.
The book includes a primary essay by Driskell scholar and curator Julie
McGee as well as many other testaments to Driskell by major American
artists, art historians, and museum professionals. The catalogue also
features a selection of Driskell's most significant writings,
introducing the full range of his career to future generations of
readers.
