Sam Gilliam

The definitive monograph of Sam Gilliam, one of the great innovators in post-war American painting, is published in collaboration with the Sam Gilliam Foundation. This comprehensive survey presents five decades of work by an African American artist who shaped the Washington, DC art scene during the Civil Rights era. Gilliam’s relentlessly experimental approach, inspired by jazz improvisation, yielded lyrical abstractions in a variety of forms, moods and materials. The book includes never-before-seen archival materials and newly commissioned texts that illuminate the artist, his life and his work, complemented by extensive examples spanning his long career. Authored by Ishmael Reed and published by Phaidon, the volume offers a definitive resource for scholars and collectors alike.

The publication situates Gilliam as a pivotal figure in post-war painting, whose innovations challenged established norms and styles. It situates his practice within the cultural and historical currents of mid-1960s Washington, D.C., highlighting the improvisational energy that underpins much of his work.

Kenmerken

• Definitieve monografie van Sam Gilliam
• Innovator in post-oorlogse Amerikaanse schilderkunst
• Verankerd in de Washington, DC kunstscene tijdens Civil Rights
• Improvisatoire, jazz-geïnspireerde benadering
• Samenwerking met de Sam Gilliam Foundation, archiefmateriaal en teksten