Kenneth Victor Young
Untitled, c. 1970
acrylic on canvas
62" x 110"
Kenneth Victor Young
Green Bird, 1972
acrylic on canvas
60" x 53"
Kenneth Victor Young
Untitled, c. 1975
acrylic on canvas
37" x 30"
Sam Gilliam
Cool Zebras #9, 1997
multi-layered relief and die-cut collage with hand additions
12" x 12"
Sam Gilliam
For the Fog, 2010
relief, acrylic paint, wood veneer, varnish, Japanese paper, rivets, handmade paper
35 1/2" x 49 1/4"
Sam Gilliam
In the Fog, 2010
mixed media relief, acrylic paint, nylon thread, and collage on handmade paper
31" x 38"
Carroll Sockwell
Untitled, 1977
Acrylic on board
7.75" x 25.25"
Carroll Sockwell
Untitled, 1973
mixed media on paper with collage additions
21.5" x 29.5"
Eglon Daley
Caribbean Heritage, 2019
acrylic on canvas
48" x 36"
Eglon Daley
Victory Celebration, 2009
acrylic on canvas
72" x 48"
Eglon Daley
Spanish Fest, c. 2000
acrylic on canvas
64" x 96"
"It took courage, focus, self-awareness, and ambition to be a black artist making abstract paintings at that time.”
- Dexter Wimberly, Black Abstractionists: From Then ‘til Now
In the 1960s and 70s, the Washington Color School brought national attention to innovations in abstraction by DC artists. While white male artists dominated the mainstream art scene in the mid-twentieth century, African American artists were no less prolific at that time. Today, museums and institutions across America seek to correct the historical and contemporary record by showcasing those artists overlooked in their time.
In honor of Black History Month, Bethesda Fine Art brings together four Black Washington DC artists: Kenneth Victor Young, Sam Gilliam, Carroll Sockwell, and Eglon Daley. This group represents a succession of Washington artists spanning the 20th and 21st centuries, who each pushed the boundaries of contemporary art whether through abstract or figurative works.
