Beauty Born of Struggle: The Art of Black Washington

A collection of illustrated essays showcases the works of Black artists from Washington, DC, from the 1920s to the present, highlighting the Washington Black Renaissance and the evolution of an aesthetic dialectic. The essays are grounded by a live artist panel at the National Gallery of Art in 2017.

Format: Hardback
Length: 368 pages
Publication date: 28 March 2023
Publisher: Yale University Press

In a time when modern art largely disregarded beauty as its guiding principle, a remarkable group of Black artists emerged from Washington, DC, and placed it at the core of their artistic endeavors. This captivating book showcases these influential artists, including David C. Driskell, Sam Gilliam, Lois Mailou Jones, and Alma Thomas, within the framework of what Jeffrey C. Stewart refers to as the Washington Black Renaissance. Rich narratives detailing the histories of key District institutions and the vibrant communities of educators, critics, and collectors provide a nuanced exploration of the evolution of an aesthetic dialectic from the 1920s to the present day. Comprising 15 essays, this volume is anchored by the insights of a live artist panel, which featured prominent figures such as Lilian Thomas Burwell, Floyd Coleman, David C. Driskell, Sam Gilliam, Keith Morrison, Martin Puryear, Sylvia Snowden, and Lou Stovall, at the National Gallery of Art in 2017.
Published by the esteemed National Gallery of Art, in collaboration with the Center for Advanced Study in the Visual Arts, and distributed by Yale University Press, this captivating volume offers a profound insight into the artistic landscape of Washington, DC, and its profound impact on the world of art.

Weight: 2146g
Dimension: 237 x 290 x 44 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780300267105