Born and raised in Knoxville, Tennessee, Beauford Delaney (1901–1979) pioneered his signature abstract aesthetic and lyrical style to harness the power of color at the intersection of key mid-twentieth-century art movements. These include the rise of modernism in America, the flowering of the Harlem Renaissance, and the international influence of European expressionism and abstract expressionism. Beauford Delaney: So Much Love and Beauty situates the artist and his work in relation to critical moments of modernist abstraction, from 1940s New York City to 1960s Paris. It also explores the meaningful relationships that nourished his career. The exhibition features the artist’s early New York street scenes, insightful portraiture, and radiant abstractions. By including works by Delaney’s inspirations such as Stuart Davis and Claude Monet, as well as friends and contemporaries such as Lawrence Calcagno, Ed Clark, and Sam Francis this exhibition celebrates the interconnected nature of postwar abstraction.
This exhibition is organized by The Phillips Collection and curated by Adrienne L. Childs, Senior Consulting Curator, The Phillips Collection.
Exhibition supporters
The Frist Art Museum is supported in part by
