Sold and To Be Sold 2
SOLD
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about the impending auction of Beauford's Ciel (Sky) color screenprint no. 22/36 by Swann Auction Galleries.
(1960) Color screenprint
Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 22/36 in pencil, lower margin
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The sale took place on October 6, 2022, and the piece sold for $10,000, including Buyer's Premium.
TO BE SOLD
On October 9, 2022, New Orleans Auction Galleries will offer an untitled Beauford Delaney gouache on paper for sale during a two-day estates auction.
(1969) Gouache on paper
Sheet 8-1/2" x 6-1/4", framed 14-1/4" x 11-3/4"
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
They describe the work (Lot 109) as follows:
"In this later abstract work by Delaney, the artist employs a limited yet sophisticated color palette of vivid hues to create an almost rhythmic exploration of the interplay of color and form."
This signed, framed work is estimated to sell for $15,000 to $25,000.
(1969) Gouache on paper
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
For information about this sale, click HERE.
Sale of Beauford Delaney Portraits to Support Charitable Causes
Over the years, I've published three articles about the time Beauford spent in Istanbul:
Beauford and Baldwin in Istanbul
Sedat Pakay's Tribute to Beauford
A few days ago, I learned that two works created by Beauford during this sojourn are being auctioned for charity.
Christie's London is hosting two auctions under the umbrella title "Istanbul Calling" to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Istanbul Foundation for Culture and Arts (İKSV) and benefit the institution’s new Young Artists Fund. The sales catalog states that "Highlights include two enchanting portraits by Beauford Delaney painted in Turkey and held in the same private collection since 1966..."
That collection belongs to the estate of Gülriz Sururi (1929-2018), a Turkish actress, theater director and owner, author, and television media personality. She and her husband, actor Engin Cezzar (1935-2017), were dear friends of James Baldwin. Beauford met the couple during his 1966 visit to Istanbul.
The portraits portray James Baldwin (Lot 287) and Gülriz Sururi (Lot 288).
Find vibrant images of these portraits and read the lot essays about them on Christie's Website at the links below:
The Baldwin portrait is one of two that Beauford created while in Istanbul. It is one of the "softest" I've seen in terms of the palette Beauford chose to use in portraying his friend. The estimated sale price of this work is $210,000-$290,000.
The Sururi portrait is another example of Beauford's passion for portraying his subjects in luminous yellow. The estimated sale price of this work is $180,000-$230,000.
Both portraits will be sold during the Post-War & Contemporary Art Day Sale on Friday 14 October 2022. The Sururi Estate plans to donate 80% of their net proceeds of sale to Çağdaş Yaşamı Destekleme Derneği (Association for the Support of Contemporary Living), a non-profit NGO in Turkey, and the remaining 20% of their net proceeds of sale to İKSV. The Association for the Support of Contemporary Living helps girls across Turkey to obtain an education.
For more information about the sale, click HERE.
Sold and To Be Sold
SOLD
Thomaston Place Auction Galleries of Thomaston, Maine held a three-day live auction called August Splendor 2022 last month. On Day 3 - August 28, 2022 - it offered a Beauford Delaney untitled, undated abstract for sale.
(Undated) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The online catalog describes the painting as follows:
"Color Composition, impasto oil on canvas, signed lower right, a blended confetti of pale teal, pink and yellow, unframed, SS: 28 3/4" x 23 1/2", very good condition."
The colors in this work remind me of the ones Beauford used in the more vibrantly colored abstract that the Mint Museum purchased a few years ago.
(1959) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The estimated sale price for the work offered by Thomaston Place Galleries was $20,000 to $30,000. It sold for $85,000.
The Cleveland Museum of Art has acquired Untitled (ca. 1958), a nearly 5' x 4' oil on canvas as part of its move to increase the number of works in its collection that were created by African American artists.
(c. 1958) Oil on canvas
Mr. and Mrs. William H. Marlatt Fund
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
TO BE SOLD
On October 6, 2022, Swann Auction Galleries will auction Beauford's Ciel, a color screenprint for which 36 prints were made, as Lot number 46.
(1960) Color screenprint
Signed, titled, dated, and numbered 22/36 in pencil, lower margin
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Ciel is mentioned in two previous articles on the Les Amis blog:
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Ink Miama Art Fair - Aaron Galleries
Where to Find Beauford's Art: Minneapolis Institute of Arts
An image of MIA's print appears in the catalog entitled Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris, published for the museum's 2004 exhibition of the same name.The estimated sale price for Ciel (Sky) Print no. 22/36 is $10,000 - $15,000.
For information about Swann's sale, click HERE.
Beauford on Obelisk Art History
I occasionally Google Beauford to see what obscure references to his life and art I can find online. Earlier this week, I found a delightful one - a page on a Website called Obelisk Art History.
Obelisk, formerly known as Trivium, is "a place to explore the wildly diverse world of art history." Created by Reed Enger 10+ years ago, it has evolved from a simple classroom resource to a platform with thousands of images, essays, correspondence, projects, and quizzes for those interested in art history.
In the section called "Artists," Enger has built a page called "Beauford Delaney: Capturing the Sacred Light." It features two sentences about Beauford and images of five of his works, most of which are dominated by the color "yellow." The sentences contain links to four other pages on the site, three of which link back to Beauford's page. Clicking on each image takes you to a page dedicated to the corresponding work, and this page also presents a brief paragraph that contains links to additional pages.
Through an innovative function called "The Kaleidoscope," Enger invites visitors to the site to take "a hypnotic journey through art history." On any given page that features a work of art, you'll find a rotating "gear" between the images of the work and the text describing it. Click on it, and you're taken to a new page where the work is transformed into a constantly changing pattern reminiscent of a kaleidoscope. This is absolutely mesmerizing!
Enger selected two abstracts and three portraits for "Capturing the Sacred Light." Here are a few screenshots of the kaleidoscopic images from these works.
I'd love to hear your thoughts about this way this site transforms images of artwork from classical to contemporary into ever changing geometric forms. Write to me at amisdebeauford@yahoo.com to let me know!
Beauford's Studio as Described by Larry Calcagno
Beauford met Larry Calcagno in Paris soon after Beauford's arrival, and the two men became dear friends. They frequently exchanged letters through which they conveyed not only the details of their daily lives, but also their love for each other.
Calcagno was a painter and as such, he was acutely sensitive to the environment in which Beauford created his art. In a handwritten document, he described Beauford's studio as follows:
"Beauford Delaney paints with joy each day, sitting beneath an enormous potted tree in his studio in Paris. A white island shining in a grey sea, it is filled with his inner light. Walls, floor, bed and chair, stacks of paintings and memorabilia — all covered with white — draperies, bedsheets, paper, a white shroud ...
"He puts everything away, literally out of sight — the past, the world, painful histories, frustration, and suffering. He paints with an enormous faith and serenity those he loves, who love him; in his world of white — [indecipherable] moves in a world of new beginnings."
Though Calcagno's document is undated, his description of the tree in the studio implies that he is describing the creative space at Beauford's rue Vercingétorix apartment.
Screenshot from Henry Miller vu par ses amis
I found this document touching because of Calcagno's description of the emotional state he felt Beauford experienced in painting. Whether he thought Beauford summoned his faith to achieve serenity in order to paint the people he loved, or that Beauford's faith was strengthened and serenity achieved by the act of painting them, we cannot know.
Find additional posts about Beauford and Larry Calcagno at the links below:
Beauford and Larry Calcagno: The Letters
Larry Calcagno's Portrait of Beauford
One Good Beauford Story Inspired Another
On July 2, 2022, I published a post about a splendid article that Scalawag Magazine published about Beauford.
Today, I'm sharing the backstory regarding this article.
Elaine Lee is one of America’s leading experts on travel. A San Francisco/Bay Area-based journalist, she has visited 65 countries and completed two solo trips around the world. She is the editor of “Go Girl” The Black Woman's Book of Travel and Adventure," and her website, ugogurl.com, is a leading portal for information on black travel, black travel writing and travel media information. She and I have known each other for many years.
I subscribe to the UGoGirl newsletter, and on Wednesday, August 31, I was thrilled to receive the message below (reprinted with permission). It is entitled "My Story about Delaney Didn't Make It to Press, but at Least I Inspired Another":
Greetings!
I hope this email finds you well.
When I visited Paris in 2019, I attended a play called Amazing Grace is Yellow – the Life of Beauford Delaney, Painter, written by Silver Wainhouse. Afterward, I spoke to Monique about the play as well as the documentary that she and Zach (Miller) were working on. I offered to write an article to help publicize their project and the growing resurgence of interest in Delaney's work.
I designed a pitch and sent it everywhere I could think of. I got nowhere - until I contacted Scalawag magazine, whose editor asked to see the story. Though she did not like it, she liked the idea and assigned the project to another writer, Tyra Seals, who did a fabulous job.
Even though my story about Delaney didn't make it to press, at least I inspired a magazine editor and another writer to carry out the project. There's no such thing as a small victory!I am grateful to Elaine Lee for her grace and humility in sharing this story with her audience and for allowing me to share it with you!
Below is the link to the story:
Out of the Shadows: The Queer Life of Artist Beauford Delaney
© Entrée to Black Paris
Summertime ...
... and the livin' is easy.
Les Amis de Beauford Delaney is taking a summertime break to do some "easy living" over the next few weeks.
As you navigate the heat of the season, I hope you enjoy these rich, warm images of several of Beauford's yellow abstract works and this beautiful rendition of the song "Summertime" by Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong.
Untitled (Abstraction)(1964) Oil on linen canvas
National Museum of African American History and Culture, Washington, D.C.
Photo courtesy of the National Museum of African American History and Culture
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Untitled
(1967) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Abstraction No. 4
(ca. 1965) Oil on canvas
signed 'Beauford Delaney' (upper right)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
(1961) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Beauford and Elwood Peterson
Elwood Peterson lived in Paris for over 15 years, arriving two to three years before Beauford set sail for France in 1953. A classical singer who used GI Bill benefits to train at the Ecole Normale de Musique in Paris, he met Beauford in 1956 through an introduction by their mutual friend, composer Howard Swanson.
Fair use claim
Biographer David Leeming mentions Peterson several times in Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney. Several elements in the Beauford Delaney archive now held by the University of Tennessee Knoxville illuminate the relationship between the two men.
Leeming states that Beauford was greatly pleased by a concert in which Peterson performed in Fall/Winter 1962. The archive contains a note handwritten by Beauford, which says "Thursday Elwood Howard" and "concert du next week negro. Beauford wrote "Oct 13," "Dec am centre," and the words "apre [sic] midi" (afternoon) and "evening" on this note, as well as other unrelated information.
The archive also includes Peterson's handwritten invitation to Beauford to "come to the Center to see our opera" and an accompanying envelope postmarked November 21, 1962. In the invitation, Peterson notes that "Howard" (Swanson) has seen the opera and will attend the performance a second time and mentions that he has not yet been able to visit Beauford in his new home (the studio on rue Vercingétorix). He says he'll try to send Beauford a formal invitation to the event.
Photo by Les Amis de Beauford Delaney
I found the following quotation in a card Peterson sent to Beauford, most likely during the Christmas season of 1966*:
"You were off galavanting again when I was "called" to teach in California ....
"I pray all is well with you and trust that all works so that we may see each other again next summer. I mean yet to have a Beauford Delaney on my wall!"
In 1967, Beauford painted a portrait of Peterson and gave it to his subject.
(1967) Oil on canvas
© The Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Photo from Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney
According to Leeming, Peterson expressed surprise at the youthful countenance Beauford bestowed on him in the work, to which Beauford replied:
"... when you sing you become eighteen again, and that's what I wanted to capture."
I have not read any correspondence that Beauford addressed to Peterson. But it is apparent from Peterson's notes and letters to Beauford that he held Beauford in high esteem and felt close to him. For several of the writings held in the archive, he used the closing salutation "Bless you" or "Love."
*In September 1966, Jet Magazine reported that Peterson left Paris to accept a position at Pomona College in Claremont, California.
Beauford Featured in Scalawag Magazine
"Through journalism and storytelling, Scalawag works in solidarity with oppressed communities in the South to disrupt and shift the narratives that keep power and wealth in the hands of the few. Collectively, we pursue a more liberated South."
This is the mission statement of Scalawag Magazine, a Black-led, women run, nonprofit media outlet in Durham, NC that publishes works focused on Southern politics and culture. Launched through a Kickstarter campaign in 2015, its founders intend to challenge the status quo of the South through community-based journalism. One of the four values listed on its "About" page is "Radical imagination and creativity," which is a perfect descriptor for Beauford's art.
On June 29, 2022, Scalawag published a feature article about Beauford called "Out of the Shadows: The Queer Life of Artist Beauford Delaney." It was written by Tyra A. Seals, the independent research assistant at the Michael Rosenfeld Gallery who conducted archival research and developed the most updated existing chronology about Beauford Delaney for the MRG exhibition entitled Be Your Wonderful Self: The Portraits of Beauford Delaney.
Seals interviewed me for this article, and I was pleased to contribute the "before and after" photos of Beauford's grave that illustrate it.
Read the article HERE.
Beauford and Ted Joans
Surrealist poet and painter Ted Joans was acquainted with Beauford and wrote about him at least twice.
Where and when they first met, I do not know. I am aware of three encounters in Paris.
Joans was born in Cairo, Illinois and grew up in Fort Wayne, Indiana and Louisville, Kentucky. After completing a Bachelor of Arts degree at Indiana University, he moved to NYC in 1951 and became involved with the Beat Generation in Greenwich Village. Beauford was living in Greenwich Village at that time and had already become somewhat of a local celebrity, so it is possible that the two men met there.
Joans began traveling to Paris in 1960 and visited the city many times during the following two decades. He wrote about Beauford after having seen him at the solo exhibition of Beauford's works organized by Darthea Speyer in February 1973.
In Volume 23, No. 3 of the Johnson Publishing Company's Black World (January 1974), Joans speaks with rapture about Beauford's work:
...one has nothing to fear from the paintings of Beauford Delaney but the truth. Some of that truth was exhibited at the Galerie Darthea Speyer, 6 Rue Jacques Callot on the Left Bank (Paris) from Feb. 6 to May 2. The paintings of Mr. Delaney were at last being shown at an important international gallery after years of being almost totally ignored by them, in spite of Mr. Delaney being one of the living legends of American art.Beauford Delaney's oils are painted natural as he is, giving off charming light that causes on to be happy before the painting. His work stimulates the human soul, like a Billie Holiday recording or a Louis Armstrong trumpet solo, the true magic of America: Black Magic!
The magazine published a photo taken at the exhibition, in which is Beauford sitting in a chair with his left arm outstretched, while Joans and jazz saxaphonist Ornette Coleman stand above him. The caption in the magazine indicates that Coleman purchased one of Beauford's oils, while Joans purchased a drawing.
L to R: Beauford (seated), Ornette Coleman, and Ted JoansIn 1975, photographer Marion Kalter captured Beauford and Ted Joans on film in Beauford's studio on rue Vercingétorix.
© Marion Kalter
In 1976, Joans visited Beauford at Sainte-Anne's Hospital. As a result, he was inspired to write a poem called "In Thursday Sane," which he signed and dated "16 dec 76 Paris Juedi [sic] 2:30 PM." With his permission, it was published by Swan Scythe Press in 2001.
Sandra McPherson discovered the poem when found a copy of Amos Tutuola’s novel The Palm-Wine Drinkard in a used bookshop in Sacramento, CA in 1999. Joans had once owned the book, where he wrote "In Thursday Sane" in the back pages. Lost and Found: "In Thursday Sane" publishes not only the 33-line verse, but also images of the original handwritten poem. It also includes an image of a sketch by Joans (reproduced on the book cover), which presumably depicts him and Beauford.
Joans refers to Beauford and Beauford's brother Joseph in the poem - "One of the dark Delaney brothers - Painters both - one here other there".
He mentions the hospital's "Pinel Salle" twice (this pavilion still exists at Sainte-Anne's) and describes Beauford as being a "gray beard man of bright paintings."
He ends the poem by expressing his heart's disbelief that Beauford is "crazy."
*The use of this low-resolution image is contended to be a fair use, since it is used solely for educational purposes in a not-for-profit blog, is necessary for cultural and historical purposes, and is not believed to decrease the material value of the copyright by its use here. The image is of inherently lower quality than the original, reducing the risk of competitiveness and therefore the effects of this copy on the market for or value of versions held by the owner of the copyright. Our usage does not limit the copyright owner's rights to sell the image in any way.
Beauford Inspires Founding of Interdisciplinary Humanities Club in Dallas, TX
Over the years, the collaboration between Les Amis de Beauford Delaney and the Wells International Foundation has born significant fruit with regard to educational programs for youth.
As a result of visiting the 2016 Resonance of Form and Vibration of Color exhibition in Paris, several Knoxvillians were inspired to implement a program called "Bringing Beauford Delaney Home" in 2017. The Knoxville Museum of Art (KMA), the Knoxville chapter of The Links, Incorporated, and West View Elementary School worked together to create this program for twenty-six (26) elementary school students.
Image courtesy of The Links Incorporated, Knoxville Chapter
In 2018-2019, the Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville program brought a total of 42 French and U.S. children together through Beauford's life and art. The high point of the program was the Knoxville students' visit to Paris to meet their Paris counterparts.
© Wells International Foundation
The most recent academic program to develop from the Les Amis/WIF collaboration is the Interdisciplinary Humanities Club (IHUM) at the Episcopal School of Dallas (ESD) in Dallas, TX. Upper School English and French teacher Antonia Moran recruited five additional educators and launched the program at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, and twenty sophmore and junior students participated.
Moran shared the following with me regarding the club:
As you may know, this club exists because of YOU and your work on Beauford Delaney and Entree to Black Paris in general! ...
Diving into your work, your illumination of those artists and voices that one does not tend to hear about in connection with Paris, has been a treasure trove of richness that adds to our understanding of what makes Paris great ...
Seeing the students’ engagement has been fulfilling, and I feel like we are learning and enriching our understanding together as we teach each other. It’s been a very collaborative experience and incredible and uplifting to see so many students' eyes opened and interests set aflame.
© Wells International Foundation
Read more about IHUM here: Dallas High School Students Love Humanities and Paris.
Beauford's Art Inspires Creative Writing
A couple of weeks ago, I wrote about a creative writing workshop that I'd been asked to lead for the University of Kent Postgraduate Arts Festival entitled Chaos & Order:
Writing from Art: A Creative Workshop.
The event is now a fait accompli!
Eight people gathered on Friday afternoon for an intimate session at the Citè Falguière in the 15th arrondissement. Upon arriving at this dead-end street, I was able to take a photo of the building at Number 5, where Beauford's friend, Charley Boggs, once lived.
© Entrée to Black Paris
When I approached 11, Cité Falguière - the only remaining artist atelier on the street - I saw that it looks pretty much the same as it did when I photographed it ten years ago.
© Discover Paris!
The front room of the ground floor of the building is serving as the exhibition space for the L'AiR Arts Association Chaos & Order show of works by four artists. A table in the center of the room creates a gathering spot for visitors.
© Entrée to Black Paris
The workshop took place in the basement of the building. Pallas-Amenah Morgan, Writing and Literature Liason for this year's festival, opened the session.
© Entrée to Black Paris
I briefly introduced Beauford, then played the four-minute video trailer of So Splendid a Journey - the full-length documentary about him that is currently in production.
© Entrée to Black Paris
I presented the history of Les Amis de Beauford Delaney, the achievements we've made in collaboration with the Wells International Foundation and Entrée to Black Paris to preserve and promote Beauford's legacy, and a brief overview of the evolution of his art throughout his career.
I then showed images of three paintings that inspired two Wells International Foundation interns to write verse and prose poetry, and ended by showing four images that I hoped would inspire attendees to write creative pieces during the time allotted for the workshop.
© Entrée to Black Paris
Attendees had so many questions about the presentation that only ten minutes remained to complete the creative writing exercise!
© Entrée to Black Paris
© Entrée to Black Paris
In the time remaining for the final segment of the workshop, six of the eight participants shared their reflections on Beauford's artwork and the prose or poetry they wrote as a result. All were impressive and a couple were particularly moving.
Morgan then closed the session and everyone moved upstairs to discuss what had just transpired. Morgan and I were photographed together.
© Entrée to Black Paris
When I left, just about everyone was still in the exhibition room engrossed in conversation. Morgan wrote me later to thank me for "a truly inspiring afternoon," and said that all the participants were genuinely touched by the experience.
Beauford Delaney Works Described on Video
Today I'm providing links to several brief (less-than-6-minute) videos that present individual paintings created by Beauford over the years.
Each presenter talks about Beauford's life circumstances, but my intent is to have you focus on their description of the work they have decided to feature.
Portrait of James Baldwin (1945)
(1945) Oil on canvas
Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art created this video to discuss Beauford's 1945 Portrait of James Baldwin (the speaker was not identified):
"Portrait of James Baldwin" by Beauford Delaney
Can Fire in the Park (1946)
(1946) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Stephanie Frey, docent at the Wichita Art Museum, provides commentary on this iconic painting:
Beauford Delaney, Can Fire in the Park, 1946
River Arts Inc. Gallery created a "Tidbits: Pocket-sized Art History" video about Beauford's life and work. In it, gallery manager Kristina Coopman describes Can Fire in the Park from 3:23 minutes to 4:30 minutes:
Tidbits Ep. 6: Beauford Delaney
Untitled (1959)
(1959) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Mint Museum Senior Curator of American Art, Jonathan Stuhlman, PhD, discusses this vibrant untitled painting:
“Untitled” by Beauford Delaney
Portrait of Marian Anderson (1965)
(1965) Oil on canvas
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
J. Harwood and Louise B. Cochrane Fund for American Art
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Dr. Shawnya Harris, the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Curator of African American and African Diasporic Art at the Georgia Museum of Art, and Dr. Steven Zucker, Founder and Executive Director of Smarthistory, talk about this painting:
Another Springtime
Last spring, I published a post containing images of several Beauford Delaney abstracts that evoked the season: Springtime.
I had the same idea for this post, but I'm giving it a different twist.
During the Classes Duo Paris/Knoxville program that united elementary school students from Paris and Beauford's hometown of Knoxville, TN, one of the lessons the students undertook involved copying Beauford's Untitled (Trees).
(c. 1945) Oil on canvas
29 1/8" x 23 1/8", signed
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
I love this painting - its clean lines and assorted colors remind me of spring. Here are images of several watercolor copies of the work that were created by Classes Duo students in 2018.
Writing from Art: A Creative Workshop
Partial image of Beauford Delaney's Untitled (1947)
Oil on Masonite
Minneapolis Institute of Art
Each year, postgraduate Arts students from the University of Kent Paris School of Arts and Culture host and curate a Masters of the Arts festival, where Kent students and the wider Paris community come together to create, commune, and explore ideas.
Pallas-Amenah Morgan is serving as the Writing and Literature Liaison for this year's festival, the theme of which is "Chaos and Order." She reached out to me to ask if I'd be interested in hosting a writing workshop or panel discussion during the week of the event. To present the theme, she said the following:
We often fear change, but the disruption of truths, ideals, and the status quo have produced some of the most transformative movements in history. We will curate events and workshops that encourage embracing chaos as an opportunity for personal, artistic, and social growth.
Morgan presented several ideas for a workshop, focused on writers she'd heard me talk about during an Entrée to Black Paris walking tour and my presentation entitled "Black Paris and the Myth of a Colorblind France." She said I could present information about my chosen topic and that participating writers would then create, then perform, a short story or a slam poem about the topic.
When I read the theme - Chaos and Order - I knew immediately that I wanted to host a workshop about Beauford's life and art. I told Morgan that Beauford painted to bring order to the mental chaos that increasingly reigned in his mind and eventually overtook his life, and I also mentioned that several Wells International Foundation interns have written prose and poetry inspired by his work. She agreed that this would be an excellent idea.
I went on to select four Beauford Delaney works – two figurative and two abstract – that workshop participants will be asked to contemplate. They will share the writings inspired by these works at The Creative Workshop: Writing through Art, which will be held on June 10 from 2:30 PM – 4:00 PM.
The festival will be held during the week of June 7-11, 2022. For the full line-up of events, which includes an art exhibition, a keynote presentation, and film screenings in addition to workshops,click HERE.
The Creative Workshop: Writing through Art event will be take place at 11, Cité Falguière in the 15th arrondissement. Cité Falguière is an historic enclave where artists such as Amadeo Modigliani, Constantin Brancusi, and Chaim Soutine once had studios. Beauford's dear friend, Charley Boggs, once lived at Number 5 on this street.
If you're in Paris and would like to attend this workshop, RSVP here.
Beauford Delaney Abstract Auctioned at Christie's
On May 13, 2022, Christie's New York auctioned a 1967 Beauford Delaney abstract painting during its Post War and Contemporary Art Day Sale.
Lot 167
Untitled
(1967) Oil on canvas
Signed, inscribed, dedicated, and dated (verso)
16 1⁄8 x 10 5⁄8 in. (41 x 27 cm.)
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
The inscription on the back of the painting reads "For Mme Mary Callery with friendship."
Mary Callery is mentioned three times in Amazing Grace: A Biography of Beauford Delaney. From biographer David Leeming, we learn that she was a sculptor friend of Beauford and that he was posing for her at her home when he made the acquaintance of Georgia O'Keeffe. This likely occurred during the early 1940s, after Callery's return from a 10-year sojourn in Paris.
Photo of Mary Callery's sculpture of Beauford Delaney
Image by Entrée to Black Paris
Reproduced by permission - Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
O'Keeffe wrote about this meeting. Read her statement here: Beauford: The Georgia O'Keeffe Portraits
Leeming reports that Callery gave Beauford "a suit, a shirt, two pairs of socks, a change of underwear, and a check for $20" in late 1945. She saw Beauford's work at his first solo exhibition at the Galerie Prisme in Paris in May 1956, and he wrote to her later that year about a work he created during the "return" to portraiture that was an extension of his abstract work.
Beauford gave the untitled painting to Callery in 1967. It was sold by Christie's in 2009, and the buyer submitted the work for sale in the current auction.
The estimated sale price for this work was $70,000 - $100,000. It sold for $239,400, including a buyer's premium of 26%.
West Coast Buzz - LACMA Acquires Beauford Delaney Portrait
My email inbox "lit up" earlier this week when the press got hold of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art's (LACMA's) announcement of its acquisition of Beauford's Negro Man [Claude McKay].
(1944) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney,
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator,
Image: Michael Rosenfeld Gallery LLC, New York, NY
Stephanie Barron, LACMA's Senior Curator and Department Head, Modern Art Acquisitions, wrote an eloquent piece about the purchase for the museum's newsletter. It is cited as being a gift of the 2022 Collectors Committee, with additional funds provided by the Robert H. Halff Endowment, the Modern and Contemporary Art Council, and The Buddy Taub Foundation, Jill and Dennis Roach, Directors.
Importantly, Barron mentions that LACMA is the first Los Angeles museum to acquire a Beauford Delaney work. At the upper end of the state, San Francisco MoMA acquired three of Beauford's works (two paintings and one work on paper) in 2020.
Image in the public domain
Source: Wikimedia Commons
By the time Beauford and McKay began to cross paths in New York, McKay was already a seasoned European traveler. He spent two years in Europe before Beauford left Knoxville for Boston and was well into his 11-year sojourn in France, Spain, and Morocco by the time Beauford arrived in New York in 1929. I have found no evidence that the two men were more than casual acquaintances, or that they ever discussed McKay's travels.
Claude McKay moved from New York to Chicago in 1944, the same year Beauford painted Negro Man. He died in Chicago in 1948.
Beauford and the Sage
In Amazing Grace: A Life of Beauford Delaney, Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, tells us that Beauford's friend Larry Calcagno gave Beauford a "copy of Lao Tzu that he nearly always carried with him and was fond of quoting."
Numerous Lao Tzu quotes reference the Sage, and some translations refer to the Sage as female. I wonder if Beauford decision to call his 1967 portrait of James Baldwin The Sage Black had anything to do with his knowledge of and affinity for these references.
(1967) Oil on canvas
Private collection
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
Leeming does not indicate whether Beauford had favorite Lao Tzu quotes, or what these might have been. So I'm sharing several of my favorites, which I'd like to think Beauford would appreciate.
"Be still. Stillness reveals the secrets of eternity."
"If you want to awaken all of humanity, then awaken all of yourself. If you want to eliminate suffering in the world, then eliminate all that is dark and negative in yourself. For truly, the greatest gift you have to offer humanity, is your own transformation."
"When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be."
"When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you."
"If you are depressed, you are living in the past. If you are anxious, you are living in the future. If you are at peace, you are living in the present."
"Water is fluid, soft, and yielding. But water will wear away rock, which is rigid and cannot yield. As a rule, whatever is fluid, soft, and yielding will overcome whatever is rigid and hard. This is another paradox: what is soft is strong."
"Thirty spokes share the hub of a wheel; yet it is its center that makes it useful. You can mold clay into a vessel; yet, it is its emptiness that makes it useful. Cut doors and windows from the walls of a house;
but the ultimate use of the house will depend on that part where nothing exists.
Therefore, something is shaped into what is; but its usefulness comes from what is not."
"Matter is necessary to give form, but the value of reality lies in its immateriality. Everything that lives has a physical body, but the value of a life is measured by the soul."
"At the center of your being, you have the answer."
"To a mind that is still the whole universe surrenders."
Beauford and W. C. Handy
(1939) Oil on canvas
© Estate of Beauford Delaney
by permission of Derek L. Spratley, Esquire,
Court Appointed Administrator
When Beauford met W. C. Handy at a party hosted by composer Luke Theodore Upshure in Greenwich Village in August 1930, it was the beginning of a long and influential friendship.
Already an accomplished musician and composer when he moved to NYC, Handy and his partner Harry Pace operated a successful music publishing business from an office on Times Square. By the time he and Beauford met, he had already rebounded from a severe reversal of fortune and was enjoying renewed interest in his greatest recordings.
Beauford immersed himself in jazz and embraced Handy's suggestion that he begin sketching jazz musicians and other notables in New York City's 1930s black community. He painted the oil portrait of his friend in 1939; it was used for the poster announcement of Beauford's solo show at the Vendome Gallery in midtown Manhattan in 1941.
Beauford's biographer, David Leeming, reports that a review of the show by New York Sun journalist Melvine Upton describes Beauford's portrayal of Handy as "personal and peculiarly understanding."
Beauford's pencil sketches of celebrated black Americans illustrate Handy's 1944 book entitled Unsung Americans Sung.
Unsung Americans Sung book cover
Several of these sketches are posted in two Les Amis articles that feted Women's History Month in 2021:
Photo Portraits of Beauford
Fair use claim
Photo: African-American Registry
Fair use claim
(ca. 1950)
Possibly by Gjon Mili
© Carl van Vechten 1953
© 1953 Carl Van Vechten
Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University
© 1953 Carl Van Vechten
Photo by Ahmed Bioud
Rue Guilleminot
France 1973
© Errol Sawyer