Monuments of Humanity: The Art of John Wilson

On view: January 23- March 12, 2010

John Wilson, Father and Child (Reading), Bronze maquette, 14 ¼ X 9 ¼ X 8 ¾ in., 1985, Courtesy of Sragow Gallery. Art © John Wilson/Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY.

GREENSBORO , NC The University Galleries at North Carolina A&T State University will feature Monuments of Humanity: The Art of John Wilson, a retrospective exhibition of works by artist John Wilson. This exhibition includes several drawings and prints, representing over sixty years of art-making and provides a re-investigation of the artist’s oeuvre and his important contribution to American art.

The opening events for the exhibition will include a guest lecture presented by Edmund Barry Gaither, Director and Curator of the Museum of the National Center of Afro-American Artists (NCAAA), and Special Consultant at the Museum of Fine Arts (MFA), Boston on Friday, January 22, 2010 from 2:00 to 3:30 pm. An opening reception will take place on Saturday, January 23, 2010 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm . The exhibition will be located in the Henry Clinton Taylor Gallery on the first floor of the Dudley Building .

Wilson ’s work has generally exhibited an emphasis on representations of men and women, highlighting his interest in the human condition. Thematically, Wilson’s work deals with the sociopolitical realities of his figures, illustrating examples of social inequities, scenes of work and industry, and the mainly personal but at times collective fears and triumphs of individuals from various geographic contexts. Scholars and arts enthusiasts will also note that Wilson ’s sculpturally-informed draftsmanship underscores a transnational engagement with modern art styles found Europe and Latin America . Although Wilson ’s visual “dialogue” brings the historical plight of African Americans into sharp focus in many works, the work is poignant and has a transcendent quality that invites the viewer to look beyond the surface.

John Wilson, The Passing Scene, Lithograph, 11 ¼ X 14 ¾ in., 1945, Courtesy of Sragow Gallery. Art © John Wilson/Licensed by VAGA, New York , NY .

Born in Roxbury , Massachusetts in 1922, Wilson’s prolific career as an artist began with training at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston in 1939. Later study included work with artist Fernand Leger in Paris in the 1940s and Mexican muralist painter David Alfaro Siqueiros in the early 1950s. By the 1960s Wilson had returned to the United States and helped to develop the art department at Boston University where he would teach both drawing and painting for over twenty years.

As an advocate for the promotion of African American art and artists, Wilson served as a consultant for several years to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. He actively participated in the establishment of the National Center of Afro-American Artists in Boston in the 1970s, which is the site for his seven foot tall commissioned sculpture, entitled Eternal Presence. Subsequent commissions include one in 1985 awarded by the United States Congress for a memorial bust of fallen Civil Rights leader, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and another monument, Father and Child (Reading) unveiled at the Roxbury Community College in 1990. In later years, Wilson has continued to return to the King icon in etching and aquatint studies such as his Head Study (2002), done in conjunction with printmaker James Stroud at Center Street Studio. A lifelong fan and admirer of the literary work of writer Richard Wright, he also produced etchings to illustrate a 2001 version of Wright’s short story, Down by the Riverside, which was originally published by Wright in the book Uncle Tom’s Children (1938). The artist continues to live and work in the Boston area.

The University Galleries is located in the Dudley Building behind the A&T/Greensboro Four Statue on the campus of North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University. Take East Market Street north from downtown and take a left on Dudley Street. Afterwards, take a right on University Circle (look for a blue street sign identified as University Circle ). The Dudley Building is located within the University Circle , which is bounded by Dudley and Bluford Streets. The hours of operation are from 10: 00 am to 5:00 pm Monday through Friday and Saturdays by appointment. For more information, call (336) 334-3209 .

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