Sam Gilliam: His Art of Printmaking

From the Collection of Michael K. and Marian E. Butler

While he is better known for his draped, paint soaked canvases which brought him acclaim in the Washington Color School in the 1960s, in the following decade, Sam Gilliam’s innovations brought new vibrancy to abstraction through printmaking.

This expansive exhibition features 34 of Gilliam’s finest prints done between 1972 and 2009. Similar to his unconventional paintings, Gilliam explored the boundaries between print, painting, and sculpture. Traditional techniques such as screenprinting were cut apart and stitched back together, resulting in a series of highly innovative and unique works. In 1972, these accomplishments earned Gilliam the honor of becoming the first Black artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale.

The exhibition was organized by Landau Traveling Exhibitions, Los Angeles, CA in association with Griots Gallery at The Center for Haitian Studies, Miami, FL. This exhibition is supported by the Edward D. and Ione Auer Foundation.