Soul of a Nation shines a bright light on the vital contribution of Black artists to a dramatic period in American art and history.



In the period of radical change that was 1963 to 1983, young Black artists at the beginning of their careers in the USA confronted key questions and pressures. How could they make art that would stand as innovative, original, formally and materially complex, while also making work that reflected their concerns and experience as African Americans? This significant new publication surveys this crucial period in American art history, bringing to light previously neglected histories of twentieth-century Black artists, including Frank Bowling, Sam Gilliam, Melvin Edwards, Bettye Saar, Jack Whitten and William T. Williams. 


This book presents era-defining artworks that changed the face of art in America, and features substantial essays from curators Mark Godfrey and Zoe Whitley, writing on abstraction and figuration respectively. It also explores art historical and social contexts with subjects including black feminism; AfriCOBRA and other artist-run groups; the role of museums in the debates of the period; and where visual art sat in relation to the Black Arts Movement.