backstory: David Driskell - Icons of Nature and History
Recently, I was in Maine at the Portland Museum of Art and saw a great show of the work of David Driskell. I’d seen small shows of his work over the years, but never had I seen the breadth and depth of his work in a survey.
One work that struck me in particular was his homage to Romare Bearden, a striking 1976 abstracted portrait that he made in honor of his mentor and friend, on loan from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Capturing Bearden’s style of mask-like faces and pieced together backgrounds, the work is a mix of bold color and form. Years ago, I asked Driskell if he would write an essay for the publication I produced in conjunction with Romare Bearden: Abstraction, a show I curated for the Neuberger that is now about to tour nationally through the American Federation of Arts. He politely declined citing too many obligations. I do wish he had been able to write for the book.
Tracy Fitzpatrick
Director, Neuberger Museum of Art
Interim Managing Director, The Performing Arts Center
Find me on Twitter @tracyfitzart