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Jack Whitten

Walker Art Center

September 13, 2015–January 24, 2016

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, Installation View, Walker Art Center (2015)
Photo by Gene Pittman, courtesy Walker Art Center.

9–11–01 (2006) Acrylic and mixed media on canvas

9–11–01 (2006)
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
120h x 240w in (304.8h x 609.6w cm)

Christ (1964) Acrylic on canvas

Christ (1964)
Acrylic on canvas
15h x 16w in (38.1h x 40.6w cm)

The Blacks (1964)

The Blacks (1964)
Acrylic collage on masonite
32h x 31.6w in (81.3h x 80.3w cm)

Hide and Seek (1964)

Hide and Seek (1964)
Acrylic on canvas
28.1h x 23.9w in (71.4h x 60.7w cm)

Head IV Lynching (1964)

Head IV Lynching (1964)
Acrylic on canvas
11h x 11w in (27.9h x 27.9w cm)

Psychic Eclipse (1964)

Psychic Eclipse (1964)
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas
26.1h x 25w in (66.3h x 63.5w cm)

The Gray Void (1964)

The Gray Void (1964)
Acrylic and mixed media on wood
24h x 24w in (61h x 61w cm)

Head XI (1964)

Head XI (1964)
Acrylic on Canvas
16h x 14w in (40.6h x 35.6w cm)

Unknown Form II (1965)

Unknown Form II (1965)
Acrylic on paper
14.88h x 10w in (37.8h x 25.4w cm)

Head VII (1964)

Head VII (1964)
Acrylic on canvas
23.1h x 21.8w in (58.7h x 55.4w cm)

Unknown Form I (1965)

Unknown Form I (1965)
Acrylic on paper
14.88h x 10w in (37.8h x 25.4w cm)

New York Battle Ground (1967)

New York Battle Ground (1967)
Oil on canvas
60h x 83.9w in (152.4h x 213.1w cm)

Garden In Bessemer II (1968)

Garden In Bessemer II (1968)
Oil on canvas
36h x 48w in (91.4h x 121.9w cm)

Martin Luther King's Garden  (1968)

Martin Luther King's Garden (1968)
Oil on canvas
51.6h x 41.5w in (131.1h x 105.4w cm)

Transitional Space 2 (1969)

Transitional Space 2 (1969)
Oil and acrylic on glazed paper
10h x 13w in (25.4h x 33w cm)

Satori (1969) Acrylic on canvas

Satori (1969)
Acrylic on canvas
105h x 109w in (266.7h x 276.9w cm)

Untitled (1970) Acrylic on linen

Untitled (1970)
Acrylic on linen
25.6h x 23.8w in (65h x 60.5w cm)

Dispersal 'A' #2 (1971)

Dispersal 'A' #2 (1971)
Dry pigment and AC-33
19.8h x 17.6w in (50.3h x 44.7w cm)

Horizontal Plane B (1972)

Horizontal Plane B (1972)
Pastel on Rives
19h x 26w in (48.3h x 66w cm)

Second Testing (Slab) (1972)

Second Testing (Slab) (1972)
Acrylic on canvas
35.4h x 34.25w in (89.9h x 87w cm)

Untitled Study #2 (1972)

Untitled Study #2 (1972)
Mixed media on paper
20h x 26w in (50.8h x 66w cm)

Testing (Slab) (1972)

Testing (Slab) (1972)
Acrylic on canvas
70.8h x 95.3w in (179.8h x 242.1w cm)

Opos Dipote (1973)

Opos Dipote (1973)
Acrylic on canvas
72h x 83w in (182.9h x 210.8w cm)

Pink Psyche Queen (1973)

Pink Psyche Queen (1973)
Acrylic on canvas
71h x 60w in (180.3h x 152.4w cm)

Study for Omalos #2 (1974)

Study for Omalos #2 (1974)
Toner on paper
25.8h x 19w in (65.5h x 48.3w cm)

Lapsang (1974) Acrylic on canvas

Lapsang (1974)
Acrylic on canvas
40h x 67.5w in (101.6h x 171.5w cm)

April’s Shark (1974)

April’s Shark (1974)
Acrylic on canvas
72h x 52w in (182.9h x 132.1w cm)

Chinese Doorway (1974)

Chinese Doorway (1974)
Acrylic on canvas
89.5h x 43.25w in (227.3h x 109.9w cm)

Chinese Sincerity (1975)

Chinese Sincerity (1975)
Acrylic on canvas, 67.5h x 40w in (171.5h x 101.6w cm)
Collection of the Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA

Delta Group II (1975)

Delta Group II (1975)
Acrylic on canvas, 51h x 88w in (129.5h x 223.5w cm)
Collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, NY

Gamma Group II (1975)

Gamma Group II (1975)
Acrylic on canvas
83.8h x 72w in (212.9h x 182.9w cm)

Sphinx Alley II (1975)

Sphinx Alley II (1975)
Acrylic on canvas
73h x 84w in (185.4h x 213.4w cm)

Greek Alphabet Series (1976)

Greek Alphabet Series (1976)
Charcoal and pencil on Rives
19.5h x 19.5w in (49.5h x 49.5w cm)

Study for Greek Alphabet Series #1 (1977)

Study for Greek Alphabet Series #1 (1977)
Acrylic on paper
19.9h x 25.9w in (50.5h x 65.8w cm)

Sigma Group II (1977-1978)

Sigma Group II (1977-1978)
Acrylic on canvas
64h x 63.25w in (162.6h x 160.7w cm)

Taf I (1978)

Taf I (1978)
Acrylic on canvas
40.25h x 68.25w in (102.2h x 173.4w cm)

Taf II (1978)

Taf II (1978)
Acrylic on canvas
40.13h x 68.13w in (101.9h x 173.1w cm)

Sigma IV (1978)

Sigma IV (1978)
Acrylic on canvas
64h x 63.5w in (162.6h x 161.3w cm)

Holding Pattern (1979)

Holding Pattern (1979)
Acrylic on canvas
42h x 42w in (106.7h x 106.7w cm)

DNA II (1979)

DNA II (1979)
Acrylic on canvas
42h x 42w in (106.7h x 106.7w cm)

Persian Echo III (1979)

Persian Echo III (1979)
Acrylic on canvas
22h x 22w in (55.9h x 55.9w cm)

The Annunciation XV (1979)

The Annunciation XV (1979)
Acrylic on canvas
16h x 16w in (40.6h x 40.6w cm)

The Annunciation XIV (1979)

The Annunciation XIV (1979)
Acrylic on canvas
16h x 16w in (40.6h x 40.6w cm)

Dead Reckoning I (1980)

Dead Reckoning I (1980)
Acrylic on canvas
84h x 84w in (213.4h x 213.4w cm)

Norman Lewis Triptych I (1985)

Norman Lewis Triptych I (1985)
Oil and acrylic on canvas
28h x 81.5w in (71.1h x 207w cm)

Garden In Bessemer (1986)

Garden In Bessemer (1986)
Acrylic on canvas
58h x 52w in (147.3h x 132.1w cm)

Mask of God II (For Joseph Campbell) (1987)

Mask of God II (For Joseph Campbell) (1987)
Acrylic on canvas
40h x 31w in (101.6h x 78.7w cm)

The Mask of God I (For Joseph Campbell) (1987)

The Mask of God I (For Joseph Campbell) (1987)
Acrylic on canvas
40h x 31w in (101.6h x 78.7w cm)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)
Acrylic collage on canvas
67.3h x 67.3w x 2d in (170.9h x 170.9w x 5.1d cm)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)
Acrylic collage on canvas
67.3h x 67.3w x 2d in (170.9h x 170.9w x 5.1d cm)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)

Spiral: A Dedication To R. Bearden (1988)
Acrylic collage on canvas
67.3h x 67.3w x 2d in (170.9h x 170.9w x 5.1d cm)

Overlay #8 (1988)

Overlay #8 (1988)
Acrylic and pastel on paper
15h x 10.63w in (38.1h x 27w cm)

Homecoming: For Miles (1992)

Homecoming: For Miles (1992)
Acrylic on canvas
105.5h x 81.25w in (268h x 206.4w cm)

Black Monolith II (For Ralph Ellison) (1994)

Black Monolith II (For Ralph Ellison) (1994)
Acrylic and mixed media on canvas , 58h x 52w in (147.3h x 132.1w cm)
Collection of the Brooklyn Museum, NY

Grid Revisited III (Study for Black Monolith III) (1997)

Grid Revisited III (Study for Black Monolith III) (1997)
Sumi ink on Rives mounted to ragboard
16h x 16w in (40.6h x 40.6w cm)

Brilliant Corners: for Thelonious 'Sphere' Monk (aka Around Midnight) (1998)

Brilliant Corners: for Thelonious 'Sphere' Monk (aka Around Midnight) (1998)
Acrylic on canvas
54h x 54w in (137.2h x 137.2w cm)

Flying High For Betty Carter (1998)

Flying High For Betty Carter (1998)
Acrylic on canvas
106.5h x 84.3w in (270.5h x 214.1w cm)

Black Monolith III: For Barbara Jordan (1998)

Black Monolith III: For Barbara Jordan (1998)
Acrylic collage on canvas
69h x 65.5w in (175.3h x 166.4w cm)

Vibrations For Milt “Bags” Jackson (1999)

Vibrations For Milt “Bags” Jackson (1999)
Acrylic on canvas
59.5h x 96.25w in (151.1h x 244.5w cm)

Black Monolith IV  For Jacob Lawrence (2001)

Black Monolith IV For Jacob Lawrence (2001)
Acrylic on canvas
96h x 96w in (243.8h x 243.8w cm)

Space Flower #2 (2006)

Space Flower #2 (2006)
Acrylic and mixed media on paper
8.25h x 7.5w in (21h x 19.1w cm)

E-Stamp IV (Five Spirals: For Al Loving) (2007)

E-Stamp IV (Five Spirals: For Al Loving) (2007)
Acrylic on canvas, 48h x 48w in (121.9h x 121.9w cm)
Collection of Cornell Fine Art Museum, Rollins College, FL

E Stamp V (Apollonian Space: for Al Held) (2007)

E Stamp V (Apollonian Space: for Al Held) (2007)
Acrylic on canvas
48h x 48w in (121.9h x 121.9w cm)

E-Stamp III (Red Velvet: For Marcia Tucker) (2007)

E-Stamp III (Red Velvet: For Marcia Tucker) (2007)
Acrylic on canvas
48h x 48w in (121.9h x 121.9w cm)

E-Stamp (for Harvey Quaytman) (2008)

E-Stamp (for Harvey Quaytman) (2008)
Acrylic on canvas
48h x 48w in (121.9h x 121.9w cm)

Zeitgeist Traps (For Michael Goldberg) (2009)

Zeitgeist Traps (For Michael Goldberg) (2009)
Acrylic on canvas
43h x 76.4w in (109.2h x 194.1w cm)

Cultural Shift (A.K.A. The Lena Horne Jubilee) (2010)

Cultural Shift (A.K.A. The Lena Horne Jubilee) (2010)
Acrylic on canvas
31.2h x 82.3w in (79.2h x 209w cm)

Apps for Obama (2011)

Apps for Obama (2011)
Acrylic on hollow core door
84h x 91w in (213.4h x 231.1w cm)

Nine Cosmic CDs: For The Firespitter (Jayne Cortez) (2013)

Nine Cosmic CDs: For The Firespitter (Jayne Cortez) (2013)
Acrylic on canvas
45h x 137.5w in (114.3h x 349.3w cm)

Sandbox: For The Children Of Sandy Hook Elementary School (2013)

Sandbox: For The Children Of Sandy Hook Elementary School (2013)
Acrylic on canvas
72h x 54w in (182.9h x 137.2w cm)

Warped Circle (For Alan Shields) (2013)

Warped Circle (For Alan Shields) (2013)
Acrylic on canvas
63h x 63w in (160h x 160w cm)

Transmission ‘J’ #1 (2013)

Transmission ‘J’ #1 (2013)
Toner on paper
22h x 30w in (55.9h x 76.2w cm)

Black Monolith V Full Circle: For LeRoi Jones AKA Amiri Baraka (2014)

Black Monolith V Full Circle: For LeRoi Jones AKA Amiri Baraka (2014)
Acrylic on canvas
84h x 63w in (213.4h x 160w cm)

Self Portrait I (2014)

Self Portrait I (2014)
Acrylic on panel
30.3h x 22.3w in (77h x 56.6w cm)

Press Release

Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting

Museum of Contemporary Art San Diego, CA
September 20, 2014 - February 4, 2015

Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH
May 15 - August 2, 2015

Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN
September 13, 2015 - January 24, 2016

Jack Whitten retrospective exhibition Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting, at the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN. Organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, curated by Kathryn Kanjo and expanded for the Walker Art Center by Eric Crosby.

For five decades, Jack Whitten has kept time through his innovative studio process. In his canvases, he explores the possibilities of paint, the role of the artist, and the allure of material essence in. As a child of the segregated south, he bears witness to expressions of evil and the resilience of the human spirit. As a diligent formalist, Whitten explores and exploits the newest acrylic and dry pigment media, the register of the image, and the edge of the canvas. As the New York artist, schooled in the sixties and maturing in the seventies, he balances on the fulcrum of the century that was and the century to come. He is an artist of his moment due precisely to his respect for the past and commitment to the present. Whitten creates in the moment in order to harness the essence of matter. From his first spectral canvases, as a graphic trace of a haunted soul, to his recent app for Obama, a key for complex, contemporary life, Whitten’s poetic and physically compelling compositions capture what is needed, what is left, what is remembered, and what is next. Jack Whitten: Five Decades of Painting surveys this enduring artist’s career with approximately 60 canvasses from the mid-1960s to the present.

The exhibition is accompanied by an illustrated publication with an essay by exhibition curator Kathryn Kanjo, an artist interview with art historian Robert Storr, and new writing by poet Quincy Troupe.