I’d never heard of Kerry James Marshall before I “discovered” him on Instagram. But I’ve since learned that he is actually a very well-known and celebrated artist and art professor. Perhaps, like me, you are not familiar with his work so I’m sharing it here.
Kerry James Marshall was raised in Los Angeles near the headquarters of the Black Panther Party, which instilled in him a sense of social responsibility. Much of his work is permeated with African-American culture.
In 1963, his family moved to the Nickerson Gardens public housing project in the Watts district of Los Angeles. This was a few years before the Watts riots.
(Above) Portrait of the Artist as a Shadow of His Former Self (1980), was the first painting he made of a black figure. He painted it when he was twenty-five and it marks a major transition: “Everything changed when I made that painting,” Marshall told Wyatt Mason of the New York Times. Mason wrote, “It sparked…his interest in countering stereotypes by creating work that shows different facets of the African American experience.” It was created with egg tempera (my favorite painting medium.)
Kerry James Marshall does not have a website but is active on Instagram:
Kerry James Marshall Instagram
He is represented by the David Zwirner Gallery:
Not literally on my easel, I finished Birds of Pray 🙏 a few years ago, but have never shown it publicly. I plan to ‘unveil’ it at my book launch party in September. I’ll be sending out a Save The Date announcement soon. Hope you can come to San Francisco otherwise I’ll be hosting a zoom party too.
I write about Birds of Pray 🙏 in my book, Art & Love. Here’s a sneak peak of the text that explains the back story and also how I created it.
Art & Love: My Life Illuminated in Egg Tempera is the memoir of my quest to master the ancient medium of egg tempera painting, gain confidence as an artist, and find lasting love.
If you missed my book cover reveal here is a “reel” I posted on Instagram.Turn on your sound to hear Whitney Houston singing, The Greatest Love of All:
And here is the cover reveal Substack I dropped on June 17th (in case you missed it) :
https://artblotterplus.substack.com/p/art-and-love-book-cover-reveal
House in a Jar, is one of 400 skateboards exhibited at SKATE at 111 Minna Gallery. The show just closed.
“On Saturday [6/21/25] over 300 Jews and allies packed the San Francisco Ferry Building and absolutely filled it with song calling for Israel to STOP STARVING GAZA. It was deeply emotional for those holding the space and for many of the steady crowds of onlookers who shared the space.” - Facebook post (not mine)
It’s worth visiting the link below to hear the singing but you’ll need to copy it into a search field, sorry, it’s not clickable.
https://www.facebook.com/peg.hunter/videos/700999799228737
I haven’t always agreed with Jewish Voice for Peace, but things are so desperate now in Gaza that I so appreciate this beautiful action. It mirrors my sentiments and I love the sit down, singing and Jewish outcry.
As always, I leave you with a…
Stormy Weather, 1933, music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Ted Koehler.12
Irving Berlin summed up Harold Arlen’s life at a tribute, saying: "He wasn't as well known as some of us, but he was a better songwriter than most of us and he will be missed by all of us.” He wrote 500 songs including all the songs for the Wizard of Oz including Somewhere Over the Rainbow.
I’d love to hear your thoughts! Please comment, and restack to help others find Art Blotter Plus. Or just hit “reply” if you prefer. I love hearing from you!
Art Blotter Plus is forever free. Share it with anyone you think might be interested:
Other places to connect with me:
If Substack is sending you mailings you don’t want, here’s how to make it stop. Unfortunately I can’t do this for you (it’s not allowed) but contact me if you have trouble and I’ll walk you through it.
1. Log into your Substack account.
2. Click on your profile icon and select 'Settings' from the drop-down menu.
3. In the 'Settings' page, go to the Notifications section.
4. From there, turn off the toggle next to 'Recommendations to read'.
FOOTNOTES
The Great American Songbook is not an actual songbook — it’s the canon of American popular songs and jazz standards from the early 1920s to the 1950s. I love this poignant and clever vocal genre.
Lyrics to Stormy Weather
Don't know why
There's no sun up in the sky
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps rainin' all of the time
Life is bare
Gloom and misery everywhere
Stormy weather
Just can't get my poor self together
I'm weary all the time
All the time
So weary all of the time
When you went away
The blues stepped up and met me
If he's gone to stay
That old rocking chair's going to get me
Every night I pray
That the Lord above will let me
Walk in the sunlight once more
I can't go on
Everything I had is gone
Stormy weather
Since my man and I ain't together
Keeps rainin' all of the time
music by Harold Arlen, lyrics by Ted Koehler.
Comments
Nothing yet. Say the first thing.
Sign in to join the conversation.