Where to Find Beauford's Art: Galerie Intemporel

Galerie Intemporel is the only place in Paris where you can find Beauford's work on public display.

Galerie Intemporel
© Discover Paris!
Owned by Laurence Choko, Intemporel was founded in 1998. It is located in the Beaubourg district, only a few blocks from the Pompidou Center. The gallery’s mission is to expose modern and contemporary works of select artists of the African Diaspora. Choko showed Beauford's Portrait of Vasilli Pikoula at Art Basel Miami in 2010.

Two abstract paintings by Beauford currently hang behind the desk at the gallery. I was privileged to stand before them at the recent reception held at the gallery in commemoration of Beauford's dear friend Richard A. Long, where I read from the tribute to Beauford that Richard contributed to this blog in 2010. An image of Beauford's portrait of Richard sat on the desk beside me.

Monique reading at Richard A. Long reception
© Discover Paris!
The blue and burnt orange abstract is an aquarelle dated 1961. The brown and green abstract is an aquarelle and gouache on paper dated 1962.

Beauford's abstracts at Galerie Intemporel
© Discover Paris!
For more information on these works, contact Laurence Choko at:

Galerie Intemporel
37, rue Quincampoix
75004 Paris
Telephone: 01.44.59.63.29
Metro: Châtelet or Rambuteau
E-mail:
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday 2 PM to 7 PM, or by appointment

Beauford's New York Expositions

As the opening date for Internal Light, the solo exposition of the Beauford's works at Levis Fine Art* approaches, I am inspired to share some of the venues at which he had his work shown during his New York years. It's an impressive list!

Beauford in his Greene Street studio, New York City, 1944
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator
Whitney Studio Galleries (now the Whitney Museum of American Art) - February 26 - March 30, 1930

New York Public Library (Harlem branch - now the Schomburg Center) - entire month of May 1930

New York Public Library (Main branch) - May 17-28, 1932

Washington Square Outdoor Exhibit - many times, beginning in 1934

International Art Center Show at the Roerich Museum - 1935

8th Street Playhouse (later to become the theater that featured The Rocky Horror Picture Show for many years) - Autumn 1938

Vendome Art Gallery - January 18 - February 2, 1941

Artists' Gallery (closed in 1962) - May 1948

Roko Gallery - many times, beginning in February 1949

*Levis Fine Art
514 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
(646) 620-5000
Contact: James Levis
Email: jim@levisfineart.com
Opening for Internal Light: May 9, 2013

BEAUFORD DELANEY: INTERNAL LIGHT

I am thrilled to share the news below about Beauford's estate!

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Levis Fine Art is pleased to announce the opening of Beauford Delaney: Internal Light, an exhibition of the extraordinary artistic legacy from the Paris period (1953-1972) of this modern master, who exhibited in museums throughout Europe and the United States. Many of these historically significant paintings have not been viewed since the artist’s landmark 1978 exhibition, Beauford Delaney: A Retrospective was held at the Studio Museum in Harlem. The solo exhibition will run from May 9 through June 15, 2013.

The images shown in this post represent a few of the paintings that will be displayed during the exposition:

Abstraction #12, 1963
Oil on canvas
51.5 x 38.5 inches


Waning Light: Abstraction, 1963
Oil on canvas
51 1/8 x 38 1/8 inches (130 x 97 cm)


It is broadly recognized that Delaney’s Paris works are among the most significant of his body of work. A number of these Paris-period works to be shown were rescued from Delaney’s apartment shortly before his death. About to be seized by the French Government and auctioned to satisfy delinquent accounts, the paintings were shipped to New York through the efforts of a coterie of the artist’s devoted friends including James Baldwin, Henry Miller, Richard Powell and Richard Long*. These paintings would form the core of the 1978 retrospective.

Untitled: Street Sweeper, 1966
Marker and mixed media on paper
21 x 14.5 inches


Abstract in Orange and Red, 1963
Gouache on wove paper
25.75 x 19.625 inches


Portrait of Ahmed Bioud, 1968
Oil on canvas
26 x 21 inches


After thirty-five years of uncertain fate, and the enormous efforts over the past seven years by the estate’s court-appointed Administrator, Derek Spratley, many of these estate paintings have been recovered and are now being presented for the first time in this exhibition, opening to the public on May 9th. A fully illustrated color catalog with essay by Lilly Wei, New York-based independent curator and art critic, will be available. Levis Fine Art is proud to represent the estate of Beauford Delaney.

Levis Fine Art
514 West 24th Street
New York, NY 10011
(646) 620-5000
Contact: James Levis
Email:
Hours: Tuesday-Saturday 10am-6pm or by appointment

*A commemorative reception for Richard A. Long will be held at the Galerie Intemporel, 37, rue Quincampoix, Paris 4e at 5 PM today.

Ealy Mays Talks about Beauford

Ealy Mays created the painting Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket? as a tribute to Beauford. I featured this work in the January 13, 2013 post on this blog and have reprinted the image below.

I recently interviewed Mays for a two-part article* in an on-going series of articles on contemporary Black life in Paris that I publish in the Entrée to Black Paris blog. One of the questions that I asked was about Beauford. Read my question and his reply below:

ETBP: One of the painters who is a part of the abovementioned legacy is Beauford Delaney. You recently painted a work that was inspired by Beauford and honors him. Tell us about your creation of this work – why did you choose to honor Beauford among all the other painters you could have selected?

Ealy Mays: As it turns out, I have one of Beauford’s original paint boxes, which he had given to Ed Clark and which Ed passed on to me. I was looking through the paint box one day and I thought about the many stories related to me by Ed Clark and Herbert Gentry about their days in Paris, including experiences of the main characters of black literature and art scene at the time such as Beauford, James Baldwin, Richard Wright, Chester Himes, and many more, including incidents unveiled and played out at Haynes’ Restaurant.

Beauford's paint box
© Discover Paris!
While a certain level of neurosis often belies the genius within many artists, Beauford seemed to have been especially touched by both. He did not end up in a psychiatric institution to see the end of his life by accident. His entire life seemed to have condemned him to such an end. He was a man of great depth and sensitivity, and a man who suffered from a lack of acceptance due to his differences as well as from the exploitation of himself and of his work by those who were in positions to do so. Even in death, the failure to accept and recognize his talent and his legacy as an artist for so long, was yet another level of torture for his bereaved and already tortured soul.

Your association "Les Amis" and the work that you have done to secure Beauford some dignity in death, was to some degree necessitated by that continued neglect of Beauford’s legacy by society, by those who profited dearly off Beauford (some of whom are alive and well right here in Paris and are still very much in possession of his prized works), and by the African-American and overall American cultural establishment that forgot about Beauford’s contribution to our cultural heritage.

As an artist in Paris, there have been days when I saw and felt Beauford in me, days when I could understand some of the demons that plagued his genius, and days when I could empathize with the rejection and exploitation he must have experienced. I have had days in Paris when I simply sat back and thought to myself, "poor ole Beauford."

I had previously seen Jazz Quartet and liked the composition. I then wondered what the painting would look like outside of the church setting in which Beauford had painted it. I decided to pay him a tribute. I actually did several iterations of the compositions until I felt satisfied with the final one currently in my collection.

Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket?
Ealy Mays
(2012) Acrylic on canvas
Image courtesy of the artist
Knowing the importance of the relationship between James Baldwin and Beauford (dating back to Baldwin’s encounter with Delaney as a teenager in New York’s Greenwich Village), and Baldwin’s tribute to Beauford in Price of a Ticket…

The first living proof, for me, that a black man could be an artist. In a warmer time, a less blasphemous place, he would have been recognized as my teacher and I as his pupil. He became, for me, an example of courage and integrity, humility and passion. An absolute integrity: I saw him shaken many times and I lived to see him broken but I never saw him bow.

… I juxtaposed Baldwin’s title, Price of a Ticket, to pose Beauford a question: "Hey Beauford, What’s the Price of a Ticket?" The painting is a tribute to Beauford as well as to the art and literature from that era.

*Black Paris Profiles II: Ealy Mays - Part I
  Black Paris Profiles II: Ealy Mays - Part II

Beauford at the Narratives of African American Art and Identity Exposition

This brilliantly colorful abstract by Beauford was displayed in the University of Maryland Art Gallery's exposition entitled Narratives of African American Art and Identity: The David C. Driskell Collection. The exhibit was mounted in conjunction with the announcement of the establishment of the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the African Diaspora in 1998.

Untitled
(c. 1964) Oil on canvas
25.5 X 21.25 inches
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford's painting was included in the section of the exposition entitled "Diaspora Identities - Global Arts" in the context of "transnational explorations" of diaspora identity.

Dr. Adrienne Childs, who is currently an associate of the W.E.B. Du Bois Institute at Harvard University, was the assistant curator for the exposition and managed the production of the catalog (published by Pomegranate Communications) for the show. The following is an excerpt of what she wrote about this work:

Beauford Delaney's untitled 1965 abstraction demonstrates the bold use of color and expressive brush work that is the hallmark of his oeuvre. ... Delaney's relationship with abstraction predated the notorious Abstract Expressionist movement, positioning him as a forerunner of one of the most important ideological and stylistic developments in twentieth-century American art. Although he chose not to identify himself with the movement, as the Abstract Expressionists began to gain notoriety in the late 1940s, Delaney's abstract work increasingly gained attention.

The David C. Driskell Collection includes drawings, paintings, prints, mixed media, and sculptures. It is housed at at the University of Maryland, College Park, MD.

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Knoxville Museum of Art

I am very pleased to share the news that the Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA) now houses the paintings for the Delaney estate! The estate executor has allowed the KMA to display the works shown below. Stephen C. Wicks, Barbara W. and Bernard E. Bernstein Curator for the museum, provides the commentary.

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Scattered Light
(1964) Oil on canvas
36 5/8 X 28 3/4 inches
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator
Scattered Light appears to vibrate with a warm orange glow at first glance. Upon closer inspection one realizes this warm glow is produced by short, thick strokes of yellow, white, green, blue, and red oil pigment applied in dense clusters. For me, Scattered Light’s rich textures and vibrant colors are reminiscent of Monet’s paintings of Rouen Cathedral.

This work is currently hung beside a painting by Joseph Delaney from our collection that is being shown in the KMA’s ongoing flagship exhibition Higher Ground: A Century of the Visual Arts in East Tennessee. Joseph's Marble Collegiate Church (1974-75, oil on canvas, 72 X 47 3/4 inches) depicts a bustling Manhattan crowd dwarfed by a towering church spire and a turbulent sky. Its distinctive frame was designed and built by the artist. In 1986, Joseph returned to Knoxville and was artist-in-residence at University of Tennessee until his death in 1991.

Installation shot at the KMA showing Scattered Light (left) beside Joseph Delaney’s Marble Collegiate Church (right)
Photo courtesy of Knoxville Museum of Art
Higher Ground is housed in one of the two large top-floor galleries. A permanent installation, it traces the development of fine art in the region over the past century. It tells the largely unknown story of East Tennessee’s rich artistic history and its connections to the larger currents of American art. Featured works are drawn from the KMA collection along with selected works on loan from museums and private collections from around the country.

KMA owns several major paintings by Joseph, but none by Beauford. I consider our lack of Beauford’s work as the single most important acquisition goal for our museum.

Beauford's portrait of his niece Imogene Delaney now hangs in our new temporary exhibition Tradition Redefined: The Larry and Brenda Thompson Collection of African American Art, which is on view through June 16, 2013.

Portrait of Imogene Delaney
(1963) Oil on canvas
38 ½ x 31 inches
Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia
The Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection of African American Art
GMOA 2011.584
The portrait is made up predominantly of yellow pigment applied in flat, even strokes. Some orange hues appear in the upper 1/3 of the composition. Interestingly, Imogene appears to hover in space because Beauford opted to apply yellow over the area where her armchair would have appeared in order to erase any evidence of its existence.

The Thompsons' extensive collection redefines the landscape of African American art, offering an in-depth, inclusive understanding of artists and their aesthetic and social concerns. Featured artists include Radcliffe Bailey, Romare Bearden, Camille Billops, Beauford Delaney, Joseph Delaney, Lois Mailou Jones, Norman Lewis, and Hale Woodruff. The fact that Tradition Redefined allows viewers to consider Beauford’s and Joseph’s work within the larger context of African American art is one of the major reasons why the KMA was eager to bring the exhibition to Knoxville.

Tradition Redefined hangs in the lower galleries at the KMA. It was organized by the David C. Driskell Center for the Study of the Visual Arts and Culture of African Americans and the African Diaspora at the University of Maryland, College Park.

Beauford at the MRG Chelsea Inaugural Expo

The Michael Rosenfeld Gallery (MRG) holds the largest number of Beauford's paintings among galleries today. It has been and continues to be a great friend of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney. I am taking this opportunity to publicly thank them for their support!

MRG recently relocated to Chelsea after operating for over 20 years at 24 West 57th Street in midtown Manhattan. Beauford's Untitled (Greene Street) was hung by the gallery as part of the inaugural exposition.

Untitled (Greene Street)
(1950) Oil on canvas
47" x 36 1/2"
signed and dated lower left: B. Delaney. 1950
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire, Court Appointed Administrator
This work was part of the African American Art Calendar 2011, created by MRG and published by Pomegranate Press in Petaluma, CA, in which it was the illustration for the month of October. It was shown at INsite/INchelsea: The Inaugural Exhibition for MRG from December 18, 2012-March 9, 2013.

Prior to the gallery's acquisition of this work, it was owned by Clarke Gallery in Mamaroneck, NY. Clarke Gallery obtained it from a private collection, the owner of which obtained it from Beauford.

Michael Rosenfeld Gallery
100 11th Avenue at 19th Street
New York, NY 10011
Telephone: 212-247-0082
Internet: http://www.michaelrosenfeldart.com

Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford

Sedat Pakay is a Turkish photographer and filmmaker who was a great friend of James Baldwin. He met Beauford in Istanbul during the summer of 1966 when Beauford first visited Baldwin's home in the Rumeli Hisarı quarter¹ of the city.

Rumeli Hisarı Waterfront (2007)
Image from Wikipedia Commons
Pakay graciously granted me the following interview about his encounters with Beauford:

Les Amis: What was your first impression of Beauford and how did this change over time (if it did at all)?

Sedat Pakay: Upon arrival to Istanbul he looked very haggard and exhausted after the long arduous journey from Paris². Within few days, in the company of James Baldwin who adored him, and with help from Black Sea breezes that gently swept by the stone porch where he would sit and sketch daily, he relaxed and looked very radiant and gratified. His chair would almost be placed next to the Bosphorus. Often, I would catch him in contemplative mood watching waves and the sail boats in between his sketching -- on small notepads with colored markers.

Later during the summer, he looked very content -- free from the pressures of living in a big city; this quiet living reflected its joy on his angelic face. He was in a loving environment, working without interruption. He was truly happy, and Jimmy took excellent care of him.

Les Amis: David Leeming writes that Beauford "became an object of veneration among our Turkish friends, who would come to him each afternoon as to a wise guru." Were you one of these friends?

Sedat Pakay: In the Turkish culture elderly people are respected and addressed in words of veneration. I always sought advice of older men and women in my family to resolve personal issues, with expectations that they would have the answers. BD was not any different. I would sit by him and listen to him. If one knows how to listen, words of a wise, experienced person are invaluable.

Les Amis: Did you consider Beauford to be wise?

Sedat Pakay: I did consider him wise. At that point (age 21) I knew very little about his life experience. As I read and heard of his painful past, my respect for the man grew. He was wise, benevolent, and generous. A small sketch he gifted me is a prize possession.

Les Amis: What inspired you to call him "Uncle Beauford"?

Sedat Pakay: I called him "Uncle Beauford" in conforming with Turkish cultural traditions. All old cultures revere their elderly and serve them to make them feel comfortable in their later years. In this tradition, addressing one's senior with words of respect, i.e. "uncle," "aunt," etc. is very proper.

James Baldwin with painter Beauford Delaney
Photograph by Sedat Pakay @1966
reproduced with the permission of the photographer
Les Amis: Regarding the photos that you took of Beauford with Baldwin and singer Bertice Reading in Baldwin's apartment, what was the occasion for this gathering?

Sedat Pakay: It was an afternoon visit by Bertice and her children -- a daughter in her teens, and a baby boy she and her husband adopted in Istanbul. It was a social visit, you know, talk of memories, old gossip, jokes, lots of laughs.

Les Amis: Did Beauford inspire you as a photographic subject?

Sedat Pakay: Faces inspire me as subjects for my photographs. You might say that "I collect faces". It was difficult to capture BD photographically because he would sit by the Bosphorus in a contemplative mood and would not even move a finger. Only when visitors arrived, and the house would come alive did one see him socializing, playing with friends' children, carrying on a quiet conversation.

Les Amis: Did you ever film him?

Sedat Pakay: I never filmed him. I started making films in 1967-68 when I was doing my Masters at Yale Art School.

Les Amis: What is your fondest memory of Beauford?

Sedat Pakay: My fondest memory of Beauford is his stoic disposition, at peace with himself while he was involved in producing his art. As I reflect on it now I realize how much I admired an artist so dedicated to his work which is very lyrical visually, while he was fighting with his demons day in and day out.


¹The Rumeli Hisarı quarter takes its name from a majestic fortress built by Mehmet the Conqueror at the narrowest part of the Bosphorus River on the European side of the city. In his biography Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, David Leeming states that Beauford often "did watercolors of the hills of Asia across the straits" during his stay with Baldwin.

²David Leeming vividly recounts the details of the journey in Amazing Grace.

Beauford Pastiche - March 2013

I occasionally surf the Web and browse the Leeming biography Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney to look for tidbits of information about Beauford that will bring his life into sharper focus for me and the readers of this blog. I have grouped three interesting items as an information "pastiche" to share with you today.

• After having lived in New York City for ten years, Beauford undertook his first journey back to his hometown of Knoxville in March 1950. He took the train and recorded his thoughts about the trip in his journal. Ever a lover of gospel music and spirituals, he mentioned that a Mahalia Jackson song - "I'm glad salvation is free" - came to mind as he went farther south. He also noted that he stayed awake the entire night of the journey.

Listen to Mahalia Jackson sing "I'm glad salvation is free" by clicking on the image below.

• On a Web page that features the genealogy of the Sicilian and American Manfredi, Percoco, Marino, and Giangrasso families, Catherine Yronwode reports that her father, Giuseppe Manfredi (a.k.a. Joey Manfredi or Fred Manfredi), took painting lessons from Beauford and his brother Joseph when they lived in Greenwich Village. Beauford taught him to paint portraits and he eventually became a WPA artist. He paid for his lessons by acting as a model for Beauford and Joseph. Ms. Yronwode states that her father told her that Beauford was briefly in love with him and says her mother told her that Beauford and her father lived together for a while.

• During the late 1960s and early 70s, Beauford merited the attention of three journalists who wrote "Paris Scratchpad" for Jet Magazine - Gerri Major, Art Simmons, and Ray Frost. In a column written by Ray Frost in June 1971, he is described as painter-writer-philosopher Beauford Delaney, "a familiar and engaging personage frequently seen holding court in various Paris cafés." Frost notes that the reference to "philosopher" stems from Beauford's talent for dispensing sage advice.

An Unexpected Discovery and a Primer for Art Collection

I met Anne Stills several months ago when she wrote to me to comment on the recent publication of my book entitled Black Paris Profiles. Since that time, we communicate frequently by e-mail to share information about Paris.

I received a couple of messages from Anne a few days ago, each with an image attached. I was delighted to find that the images were of paintings by Beauford!

Untitled (recto)
(1942) Pastel on paper
Image courtesy of Anne Stills

Untitled (verso)
(undated) Pastel on paper
Image courtesy of Anne Stills
Anne found these paintings at a private art dealer's establishment* in NYC while she was purchasing art to add to her collection. The dealer, Jon Mellitz, acquired them over 20 years ago from the Betty Esman estate (Esman was a WPA artist, as was Beauford.) Both pieces measure approximately 23x18 inches and are in good condition. The asking price is $7000 for both paintings.

Because I believe that the concept of art collection is foreign to many and because starting and building a collection requires education and advice, I asked Anne to grant Les Amis an interview to talk about art collection and what it means to her. Find our exchange below:

Anne Denise Stills at Versailles
Photo courtesy of Anne D. Stills
Les Amis: When did you first realize that you wanted to collect art?

Anne D. Stills: I have been collecting one thing or another most my life. We are all collectors, all of us. As a young person I collected dolls. I moved on to jazz albums, fashion magazines, cookbooks and mystery novels. As my taste and exposure to the world grew, I started more costly collections of porcelain teapots, Lladro and Herend figurines, and Hermes scarves. As I settled down and started paying more attention to home, I began to think about collecting art first as a means to decorate and later as a passionate pursuit.

Les Amis: Why is it important for you to collect art?

Anne D. Stills: I am a visual person. I need to be surrounded by beauty. The artwork in my home reflects my personal taste and brings a certain energy, joy and peace to my well being and sensibility. It reminds me of my parents and connects me to the history and experience of black people in America and the African Diaspora.

Les Amis: Which genres do you prefer (painting, sculpture, installations, photography…)?

Anne D. Stills: My collection is still young and evolving, therefore, I prefer to remain open and develop a taste for a broad range of mediums. I started with works on paper, along with vintage black and white photos.

Les Amis: Which types of paintings do you prefer (examples: figurative vs. abstract; portraits vs. landscapes; oils vs. watercolors vs. acrylics…)?

Anne D. Stills: My tastes are quite varied. In the beginning stages of collecting, I found myself drawn to abstract works of art. Later to round out my collection, I acquired figurative works. As a serious collector, I am very deliberate about my selections. It is very important that each piece enhances and fits into the overall theme.

I have a wish list of artists I want to collect. When I am considering a work, I mostly think about what that artist is known for and select art that represents a part of either their earlier or later works or sometimes both.

Les Amis: Is Beauford one of the artists whose work you'd like to collect?

Anne D. Stills: Yes, Beauford Delaney is on my wish list. I am partial to his abstracts and bold use of color.

Les Amis: When did you begin to collect art?

Anne D. Stills: My first awareness and deliberate decision to build a collection of fine art started five years ago. Once I made the decision, I thought long and hard about the strategy and artistic goal for my collection. I first went about educating myself and being exposed to many different types of art and artists. Through this exposure and training, I decided I wanted to focus my collection on African-American artists of the WPA (Works Progress Administration) period. This was a federal program established in 1935 during the Great Depression to offer work to the unemployed. There was an arts project component to help keep artists working. This was also during the time of the Harlem Renaissance with its explosion of cultural nationalism, black heritage, pride and the blossoming of black art and literature. I feel a strong affinity to the works created during this era.

Les Amis: What was your first purchase?

Anne D. Stills: My first acquisition was a Romare Bearden lithograph, Brass Section (Jamming at Minton’s), from the Jazz Series, dated 1979. As a lover of jazz music, this piece spoke to me. I remember gazing at the image and being taken back to the 1970s jazz club scene in Greenwich Village, grooving to the sounds of Miles Davis, Sonny Rollins and the voices of Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae and Shirley Horn.

Les Amis: How do you feel about the concept of “black art”?

Anne D. Stills: I believe the concept of black art is very subjective. You can ask different people including art historians and scholars this question and receive different answers. It’s a very broad subject. I am only an art lover, not an expert. However, I came of age in NYC during the late 1960s and early 1970s during a major social upheaval and transformational time. There was a proliferation of black expression, pride and the birth of the Black Movement. As a result, I was nurtured and exposed to the works of “black art” by all the many incredibly talented, prolific writers, musicians and artists that look like me and whom I could identify with. This was my bridge into the art world. It established a comfort level for me. As an example, my love for opera music developed because I was able to go and see Leontyne Price, Jessye Norman and Shirley Verrett…people that looked like me.

Black art has illuminated my path, nurtured my growth and given me the freedom to broaden my horizons and develop a global perspective.

Les Amis: Does your collection represent an investment or simply a passion?

Anne D. Stills: My collection comes out of my love and passion for the history and legacy of African-American artists, their art and our collective experiences. I applaud their ability to document what they saw and express their emotions to create something beautiful that I live with and enjoy each day. That is the driving force behind my building a fine art collection. At some point, however, as my collection grew in size and value, it inevitably evolved into an investment. As an investment, there are certain considerations that require management - things such as insurance, tax, and estate planning.

Les Amis: Do you use the Internet to search for works to collect?

Anne D. Stills: The Internet can certainly be used as a source to search for artwork. I much prefer an interactive and proactive approach, including consulting with my art dealers and attending art auctions, galleries and art fairs. The primary source I have used to collect art is through reputable dealers that I have developed a long-term relationship with. They are familiar with the strategy of my collection and have assisted me with evolving, expanding and growing my body of work.

Les Amis: What are the pros and cons of using the Internet?

Anne D. Stills: The down side of buying art on the Internet is that you may purchase a fraudulent work if you are not experienced and knowledgeable. There can be a lot fraud if you don’t know what you are doing. It’s important to receive certificate of authenticity to document the details and value of your artwork. This may not always be possible using an Internet seller. The positive side, however, is that you are purchasing directly as opposed to through a middle man such as an auction house, thereby, getting a better price.

Some dealers use the Internet to sell their inventory. I once came upon a valuable piece of artwork directly via the Internet. It was put up for auction at a major auction house in the past, however, did not sell. The seller’s asking price was thousands of dollars below the auction house estimate. Unfortunately, I was not able to purchase it because it was not within my budget at the time.

Les Amis: How would you advise someone new to art collection to begin?

Anne D. Stills: All serious art collecting begins with educating yourself and building an art library. A great deal of effort must be put in prior to your first purchase. I would advise the novice collector to spend of lot of time visiting museums and galleries as well as attending local art fairs and auctions. Study art magazines and gallery catalogs. Attend exhibits and establish relationships with contemporary artists, gallery owners, curators and collectors. Study the African-American art collections of important private collectors such as Dr. Walter O. Evans (Savannah College of Art and Design), Dr. Harmon and Harriet Kelley (private collection), and Paul R. Jones collection (University of Delaware and University of Alabama)—these are an extremely educational resource. In time you will train your eye and your gut to identify artists that have created the works that speak to you.

Quality artwork by established emerging artists can be found to fit any taste and budget. To develop a good collection, you must develop your eye.

Les Amis: Are there any references, online courses, or other resources that you would recommend to new collectors?

Anne D. Stills: One of the books I consider the bible of African-American art history is A History of African-American Artists, From 1792 to the Present by Romare Bearden & Harry Henderson. The information, artists and works presented in this book and made during this period laid the groundwork for everything that followed. Another important reference and must have is Collecting African American Art, Works on Paper and Canvas by Halima Taha. This book is invaluable with everything the new collector needs to know. The IRAAA (The International Review of African American Art) magazine published by Hampton University Museum is an excellent resource for identifying emerging artists and what is trending in the art world of black artists.

Three excellent books that I would recommend by art historians and scholars are Black Art in the 20th Century and To Conserve a Legacy: American Art of Historically Black Colleges and Universities, both by Richard Powell; and African American Art and Artists by Samella Lewis. Additional resources would include the online archived catalogs at Swann Galleries, and the auction house Web sites for Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

*For more information about the Beauford Delaney portraits, contact Jon Mellitz at 917-721-3608.

Beauford's Portrait of Charlie Parker

Many thanks to the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY for furnishing the images and information presented in this post.

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Several of Beauford's paintings are being shown in the Blues for Smoke exposition at the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York. One of them is an untitled work that is also known as Charlie "Bird" Parker:

Untitled (aka Charlie "Bird" Parker), 1968
Oil on canvas
28 3/4" x 23 1/2", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, Courtesy of
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
This painting is signed and dated in the lower right corner: 1968 Beauf Delaney. It is also signed, inscribed and dated in the upper right corner on the back: Beauford Delaney Paris 1968 France. Billy Dee Williams (Los Angeles, CA) acquired it directly from Beauford in 1968 in the accompaniment of James Baldwin. It is currently held by the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY, which loaned it to the Museum of Contemporary Art in Los Angeles (MOCA) for the current exposition. It appears on page 51 of the exhibition catalog.

In an article about Blues for Smoke, published by the New York Times on February 8, 2013, Holland Cotter discusses the few pieces in the show that come from Europe. Beauford's paintings are a part of this group. About the portrait shown above, Holland states:

Europe — Paris — was the adopted home of the painter Beauford Delaney, who has a wonderful little 1968 portrait here of Charlie Parker, dressed like an African chief in a citrus-yellow robe.

Untitled (aka Charlie "Bird" Parker) - detail, 1968
Oil on canvas
28 3/4" x 23 1/2", signed and dated
© Estate of Beauford Delaney, Courtesy of
Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York , NY
Blues for Smoke was shown at The Geffen Contemporary at MOCA from October 21, 2012 - January 7, 2013; the show opened at the Whitney Museum of American Art on February 17 and will hang until April 28, 2013.

Click on the links below to read other Les Amis blog posts about Beauford and the Whitney Museum of American Art:

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Whitney Museum of American Art

Beauford at the Whitney Museum Studio Galleries - 1930

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries - Part 4

This final segment of the multi-part article on the Beauford Delaney paintings held by Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries comes from Patricia Sue Canterbury*, curator of the solo exposition entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris that was mounted by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts in 2004.

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The group of works that resides in the collection of the Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries (“CAUAG”) is bound together by the two salient factors of color and origin. All seven works, which range between 1962 and 1978, are suffused with yellow, a shade that dominated the artist’s work—particularly after his relocation to Paris in the 1950s. The sun-drenched shade was a flexible, expressive tool that conveyed the perceived essence of his subject matter. The other aspect that contributes special meaning to the works as a group is the fact that all are a bequest from Delaney’s long-time friend, James Baldwin. My thoughts on a few of my favorites follow below.

Baldwin and Delaney’s history spanned decades and, while it began with the artist in the role of mentor to the younger man, by the 1970s Baldwin would take on a protective role towards the man who had taught him in little but profound ways to look beyond the surface of initial impressions. It was also Delaney who was living proof to the young, aspiring writer that a black man could be, and succeed, as an artist. The friendship begun in New York continued across the Atlantic where both men found in Paris a place where each could explore their respective paths with a freedom that opened within them new approaches and ideas in the pursuit of their crafts.

Given their long history, Delaney portrayed Baldwin on many occasions and those likenesses rank as some of the artist’s most powerfully intuited portraits. Therefore, it is not surprising that out of the three portraits by Delaney in the CAUAG collection, it is his portrayal of James Baldwin that projects to us the interior essence of the sitter.

Portrait of James Baldwin
(1971) Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Baldwin
Image courtesy of Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
Note: Some question whether the person depicted in this portrait is indeed Baldwin.
The yellow light of inspiration and spiritual power surrounds the author like an aura, but the face is suffused with the same light as if it is rising up from within and emanating towards the viewer. Baldwin and the light are one and the same. The clarity of vision and purity of his purpose are further conveyed to us through the bright white of his eyes and the jacket in which he is cloaked. His expression, looking straight ahead, is one of calm determination and his position in the dead center of the canvas, further marks the solidity of that resolve.

As Baldwin’s success as an author rose, he would in turn offer Delaney opportunities to vacation with him in various locations, including his timber and stone villa in St. Paul de Vence in the South of France. CAUAG is fortunate to possess two works that mark Delaney’s presence there. In Village (St. Paul de Vence) the artist captured the nature of a town that, to any visitor, is an unending succession of steeply pitched steps that hug the walls of any structure they desire to reach. Here, Delaney collapses a slice of the town into a single plane with multiple stepped paths and the cellular-shaped interiors of the establishments that border them. It is a portrait of a place well loved, which conveys a sense of his delight in its peculiar quality of place.

Village (St. Paul de Vence)
(1972) Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Baldwin
Image courtesy of Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
The work also reaches back to works from New York (ca. 1946-1953) when the artist employed similar divisions or compartmentalizing in the portrayal of a place (i.e., Untitled (Jazz Club), ca. 1951, Private Collection). While each area of activity is distinct, in concert they convey a sense of simultaneity within the greater whole of the place portrayed.

Yellow Cyprus (1978), painted six years later, and one year before Delaney’s death, translates his experience of the scene that opened before him from the terrace of Baldwin’s house at St. Paul de Vence. In spite of his delicate mental state by this point in time, he obviously divined larger, cosmic meaning underlying the visual phenomena. To get at it, he restricted the color palette and stripped away the unessential elements that would only distract. The yellow orb of the sun does not simply bathe the landscape in golden light; it invades it and transforms it into an extension of itself and threatens to dematerialize it, outright.

Yellow Cyprus
(1978) Oil on canvas
Bequest of James Baldwin
Image courtesy of Clark Atlanta University Art Galleries
The scene embodies the spiritual crux of what Delaney had sought to capture in his grand cosmic abstractions of the 60s—“that which cannot be said or portrayed…that is deathless, eternal, and obscure.” [Letter to Henry Miller, 11/3/65] Indeed, nature here presented him with its own “canvas” of infinite and unfathomable light. It was left only for him to walk into it.

*To read the other contributions that Sue Canterbury has made to the Les Amis blog, click on the links below:
Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 1
Anatomy of an Art Exposition - Part 2
Why Are So Many of Beauford's Paintings in Museum Storage

Beauford's Self-Portrait at Swann Galleries African-American Fine Art Auction

Once again, Beauford's work was represented at the Swann Galleries African-American Fine Art Auction. The most recent sale was held on February 14, 2013. This time, the painting auctioned was an exquisite self-portrait (Lot 73) that I had not seen before.

Self-Portrait
(1964) Oil on linen canvas
470x337 mm; 18 1/2x13 1/4 inches.
Signed, dated and inscribed "Paris" in oil, verso.
Image courtesy of Swann Galleries
This painting was last held by the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, which acquired it in 2011. It was previously owned by Louise Taylor, St. Michael, MD; Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York (1999); and John Axelrod, Boston (1999). It was exhibited in a show called Selections from the Collection of John P. Axelrod at the Addison Gallery of American Art, Philips Exeter Academy, Andover, MA, August 31 - October 31, 1999 and at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery, New York, 1999, with the labels on the frame back.

Swann Galleries describes the painting as follows:

This modern self-portrait is a striking example of an important body of work--Beauford Delaney made self-portraits throughout his career, from the 1930s through the 1970s. This work is done at the height of his Paris period, the same year as Delaney's solo exhibition at Galerie Lambert in Paris, where he showed both portraits and abstract canvases. There is another 1964 self-portrait, with a cigarette on a yellow background, in the collection of the Reinfrank family, and a very similar Self-Portrait, 1965, in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art and illustrated on the cover of David Leeming's biography, Amazing Grace: a Life of Beauford Delaney.

The estimated sale price for this piece was $20,000-$30,000. It sold for $30,000*.

*At auction, there are two prices--the hammer price, or the price at which the item sells during the auction, and the price with the buyer's premium. All auction houses have a buyer's premium that the buyer pays to the auction house on top of the hammer price. Swann's premium is 20%. The prices indicated in this article are hammer prices.

Beauford Returns to the Whitney Museum of American Art

Blues for Smoke is a major interdisciplinary exhibition exploring a wide range of contemporary art, music, literature, and film through the lens of the blues and “blues aesthetics.” Mounted by the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), it is now being shown at the Whitney Museum of American Art in Manhattan.

The image below is a screenshot from the page on the Whitney Museum Web site that promotes the exposition.  The painting on the right was done by Beauford - it is called Portrait of a Young Musician and is on loan from the Studio Museum in Harlem.  It is not dated. (Click on the image for a larger view of the portrait.)

Screenshot from Whitney Museum Web site

Beauford experienced his first major break as an artist at the Whitney, where he exhibited twelve works (three oils and nine pastels) at a four-person show that ran from February 26 to March 8, 1930.  He won first prize for one of his pastels and honorable mention for the other works that he submitted for this show. 

There is no indication on their Web site as to why the Whitney chose Portrait of a Young Musician among dozens of others to represent this exhibit.  But I think you'll agree that the work is compelling.  During a Google search, I found a blog post by a young woman named Kiffe Coco that echoes this sentiment.  Coco says that as soon as she laid eyes on the painting, she was deeply intrigued.  She goes on to describe how the image evoked thoughts of Paris:

I was introduced to this piece on Tuesday at the Studio Museum of Harlem while working a workshop, and just looking at it, I thought of Paris and then somehow, James Baldwin's image popped into my head. His scarf, his crossed legs, his expression all led me to believe that this guy had been spending some time in the City of Light...

Blues for Smoke is being accompanied by a series of performances, events, screenings, and readings, all of which showcase the enduring legacy and innovative possibilities of the blues in contemporary music and live art. It will run until April 28, 2013.

Whitney Museum of American Art
945 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
New York, NY 10021
General Information: (212) 570-3600
info@whitney.org
Click here for information on hours and admission fees.

Where to Find Beauford's Art: Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has recently acquired one of Beauford's most acclaimed portraits, that of Marian Anderson:

Marian Anderson
(1965) Oil on canvas
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
Image source: VMFA Blog
The painting had been on loan to the museum for five months prior to the acquisition. As of December 2012, it is part of their permanent collection. It hangs in the American gallery across the room from Beauford's Greene Street, which the museum acquired in 2010. As part of the museum's inventory, these works now belong to the Commonwealth of Virginia.

The following description comes from the VMFA blog:

In this “memory” portrait — painted in Paris but with an awareness of the Civil Rights struggles underway in America — Delaney expressed his ongoing admiration for Anderson’s sensitive brilliance as a performer and person. The visual harmony of the work epitomizes the artist’s exploration of painterly abstractions that featured the color yellow as a symbol of perfection and transcendence.

According to the blog Black Artist News, Marian Anderson is the museum’s first painted portrait of a celebrated historical black figure. Many thanks to milo, creator of Black Artist News, for informing Les Amis of the acquisition!

Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket?

Artist Ealy Mays has paid a wonderful tribute to Beauford with his painting entitled Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket?

Beauford, What is the Price of a Ticket?
Ealy Mays
(2012) Acrylic on canvas
Image courtesy of the artist

Jazz Quartet
Beauford Delaney
(1946) Oil on canvas
Image courtesy of Burt and Patricia Reinfrank

Mays provides the following information about the painting:

Beauford’s original painting was “Jazz Quartet”. Jimmy Baldwin attributed “Price of a Ticket” to his friend Beauford. Ealy Mays pays tribute by combining title with image.

Setting of Beauford’s original painting was more of a church with a woman a playing a Piano. Here, it is changed from a church to a Jazz lounge in Paris, juxtaposing the individuals and instrument played.

For additional information about Mays' original painting, as well as prints and memorabilia of the work, visit his Web site at EalyMaysArtWorks.com.

Les Amis Bids Adieu to Richard A. Long

It was with sadness that Les Amis de Beauford Delaney learned of the passing of Richard A. Long.  He died on January 4, 2013.

 Portrait of Richard A. Long

Oil on canvas (1965)

High Museum of Art

Richard was a great friend of Beauford and has contributed numerous times to the richness of this blog:

Richard A. Long and Beauford Delaney
Special Video: Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 1
Special Video: Richard A. Long Talks about Beauford - Part 2

He was a donor for the Beauford Delaney Gravesite Project and recently supported our application for funding for a second Beauford Delaney biography and the creation of a catalogue raisonné of Beauford's art.  He was always generous with his time and knowledge.  It was a pleasure to have gotten to know him.

For a beautiful and eloquent summation of Richard's life and work, read the article published by Arts Atlanta at the following link:

http://www.artsatl.com/2013/01/memorium-richard-a-long/

A Portrait for Sale

Beauford captured the likeness of his friend Richard Gibson in a portrait painted in Paris in 1955:

Portrait of Richard Gibson
Beauford Delaney
Oil on canvas (1955)

Click HERE to read the story of how Richard sat for the portrait.

The painting was hung as part of the exposition of Beauford's works that the Philadelphia Museum of Art held in 2005. As Richard is a native of Philadelphia, he was proud to have his portrait shown during this exhibit.  Click HERE to read more about this exposition.

Richard Gibson standing next to his portrait at the 2005 exposition
Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Photo courtesy of Richard Gibson

Richard owns the painting and is offering it for sale.  Interested parties should address an e-mail message to Craig Allen at craig.persmail[at]yahoo[dot]com.

To read Richard's tribute to Beauford, click on the following link:
A Tribute to Beauford...in Gratitude

2013 Happy New Year Greetings from Les Amis

Happy New Year everyone!
  May 2013 bring you all the love, joy, and prosperity that you desire!

Beauford Delaney
(1953) Carl Van Vechten
This year is an important one for Les Amis de Beauford Delaney.  I will renew the concession on Beauford's gravesite this spring and will continue to pursue getting permission to place a plaque in Beauford's honor on a building façade in Montparnasse.  I will also continue to search out the locations in the U.S. and around the world where Beauford's art is located.

Untitled (Rainbow Abstraction)
(1962) Watercolor and gouache on paper
Photo courtesy of Swann Galleries
I want to thank you for your support of Les Amis and hope that you will continue to follow and support our efforts!

Sincerely,
Monique
President, Les Amis de Beauford Delaney

A Birthday Card for Beauford

Artist and singer Joseph Langley was one of the many people who attended the reception celebrating the laying of Beauford's tombstone in October 2010.  Joe created a wonderful video to capture the highlights of that event.

I asked Joe if he would be willing to create an artistic work in celebration of Beauford's birthday (December 30, 1901) and he immediately rose to the challenge.  Here is the painting that he created:

Portrait of Beauford Delaney
Joseph Langley
(2012) Acrylic and pencil on canvas

Click on the image to see the video that Joe created to present this work of art.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BEAUFORD!
To learn more about Joe and his art and music, visit www.josephlangleymusic.com.