MASTRY by Kerry James Marshall

A collection of works by African-American artist Kerry James Marshall. This book was published in conjunction with the holding of a major retrospective exhibition by the author, one of America's greatest painters, and compiled the major works of his work. Born in Birmingham, Alabama in 1965 before the civil rights law was passed, the author, who was also an eyewitness to the Watts riots, continued to document his experiences as African-Americans in an imaginative manner. Known for its large-scale interiors, landscape paintings and portraits of powerful black figures, the author explores the stories of African-American history from slave ships to the present day, and uses deep knowledge of art history, from the Renaissance to 20th century abstract paintings, comic books and mural artists' traditions. The landscape, which directly depicts the lives of the middle-class black people with rich colours, brushstrokes and detailed patterns, evokes a variety of emotions, creating powerful paintings that depict the social position of African Americans in American history. This book contains a wealth of essays from various curators and writers. The artist's career features over 100 paintings, including historical paintings, nudes, portraits, beauty expressed as self-portraits, landscapes, religion, and the politics of black nationalism.