Description
Book SynopsisMy aim is to express in a natural way what I feel, what is in me, both rhythmically and spiritually, all that which in time has been saved up in my family of primitiveness and tradition, and which is now concentrated in me.--William H. Johnson
An essential figure in modern American art, William H. Johnson (1901-1970) was a virtuoso skilled in various media and techniques, who produced thousands of works over a career that spanned decades, continents, and genres. This volume considers paintings from the collection of Morgan State University in Baltimore, Maryland, that show the pivotal stages in Johnson''s career as a modernist painter of post-impressionist and expressionist works reminiscent of Cezanne, Van Gogh, and Soutine, and the vernacular paintings in which he articulates his specific, unforgettable voice as an artist.
In this lavishly illustrated book, some of the world''s premier scholars of William H. Johnson and African American art history
Trade Review
"This new book brings to life Johnson's conscious combination of formal training, international influences, and personal experiences to pare his style down to the very simplest, starkest terms . . . forever marking him as a truly American modern."
-- Robin Meyer * Artes Magazine *
"Through his art, Johnson's life is triumphant. It celebrates the richness of human creativity, the beauty of the land, and the worth and dignity of people."
-- Clint Schemmer * Fredericksburg.com *
Table of ContentsForeword, Anna R. Cohn
Introduction, Gabriel Tenabe
1. Preserving a Legacy, David C. Driskell
2. Trembling Vistas, Primal Youth, Richard J. Powell
3. Johnson and the Semiotics of Landscape and Still Life, Lowery Stokes Sims
4. Rural Rituals and Urban Realities, Leslie King-Hammond
5. Creating Church, Leslie King-Hammond
6. Devotion and Disrepute, Richard J. Powell
7. BLACK thou ART . . . BLACK thou AIN'T, Aaron Bryant
Notes
Selected Bibliography
Image Credits
