Black American Art: AFRICAN AMERICAN ART AT SWANN OCTOBER 7

New York—Swann Galleries’ sale of African American Art is set for Tuesday, October 7. The fall offering features a strong selection of artists from the Post-War and Contemporary eras with exceptional examples of abstract paintings, assemblage and sculpture, and works on paper. The auction will also feature works from the collection of Lucinda H. Gedeon, as well as a selection of works on offer to benefit the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation and The Friends of the Tanner House.

The sale is led by post-war abstraction with an important 1951 oil painting by Norman Lewis—Untitled (Exaltation) ($700,000-1,000,000). The work is an exceptional example of Norman Lewis' early abstraction, an important painting, and the pinnacle of his first abstract period. Lewis found his creative breakthrough in describing the nocturnal urban landscape of New York City within his black paintings. The work was exhibited in the artist's 2016 retrospective, Procession: The Art of Norman Lewis.

Also by Lewis is a scarce 1944 figurative painting, The Dishwasher ($120,000-180,000).

Other abstract highlights range from Charles Alston's 1959 color field painting Blue Haze ($100,000-150,000), to a monumental 1981–82 pigment work on paper by Ed Clark ($100,000-150,000), as well as Primeval Image, a circa 1970 abstraction by Hale Woodruff.

Figurative highlights include two small 1961 Bob Thompson oil paintings from his Paris period ($20,000-30,000, apiece); a 2001 Richard Mayhew portrait, Waiting for Reparation, Justice, Restitution, Inclusion ($30,000-40,000); James A. Porter’s The American Family (The Family), 1940 ($40,000-60,000); and Winfred Rembert’s circa 2008-09 tooled leather portrait, President Obama ($25,000-35,000).

Prints are headlined by a 1968 trial proof of Elizabeth Catlett's iconic color linoleum cut Sharecropper ($25,000-35,000). Contemporary mixed media highlights include Noah Purifoy's 2002 untitled assemblage of various found objects on board ($35,000-50,000), Glenn Ligon's 1995 Skin Tight, a dynamic screenprint printed on a punching bag ($50,000-70,000), and Ebony G. Patterson's …bearing witness…, 2017, a fiber arts piece using embroidery, hand-knotted threads and assorted embellishments with archival dyes on jacquard ($40,000-60,000).

A small selection from the Collection of Lucinda H. Gedeon—a distinguished art historian and museum director— also feature in the sale. The offering will include Charles White prints, as well as two works by Dan Concholar, and Melvin Edwards’ Prepared (Lynch Fragment), welded steel, 1995 ($40,000-60,000).

The auction will close with a special evening session featuring contemporary art to be sold to benefit the 30th Anniversary of Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation. The Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation, established in 1995 by Danny Simmons, Russell Simmons, and Joseph “Rev. Run” Simmons, aims to provide inner-city youth with access to the arts and exhibition opportunities for emerging and underrepresented artists, significantly impacting the landscape for artists of color and emerging talents. With support from a wide network, Rush Education programs annually serve 3,500 students, offering alternatives to high-risk behaviors and enhancing academic performance. Rush exhibits over 50 emerging artists yearly, attracting 12,000 visitors and providing career opportunities in the arts for young people. Operating galleries in Manhattan and Brooklyn, along with programs in five NYC public schools, Rush fosters artistic inspiration and education in underserved communities.

A selection of five works will be sold to benefit The Friends of the Tanner House. Friends of the Tanner House is committed to the preservation and growth of the rich Black cultural wealth of North Philadelphia, and the revitalization of the historic property once owned by Henry Ossawa Tanner and his family. “Friends of the Tanner House is grateful to come into community with Swann Galleries for this upcoming auction, with a nod to Rush Arts who initially made the connection. We owe an honor to our artists (Jay Golding, Jamel Shabazz, Danny Simmons, LeRone Wilson) who offered their work to benefit our emerging cultural heritage non-profit as we steward, revitalize, and re-open the family home of the forerunning Black American visual artist Henry Ossawa Tanner. We know this is a time for uplifting the enduring value and power of Black artistic practice to inspire collective possibilities for social change,” board member, Christopher R. Rogers noted of the organization and sale.

Donated works benefitting the Friends of the Tanner House will feature such artists as Jamel Shabazz with The Other Face of Vietnam, c-print, 1988 ($1,000-1,500), and LeRone Wilson with (Light) RA, beeswax and honey sculpture, 2004 ($6,000-9,000), as well as works by Danny Simmons and Jay Golding.

Works benefitting the Rush Philanthropic Arts Foundation are led by David Shrobe with Hug From Above, mixed-media, 2025 ($20,000-30,000). Additional highlights include Derrick Adams with Where My Girls At?, color screenprint, 2024 ($10,000-15,000); Dawoud Bey’s Man on the B26 Bus, New York, NY, silver print, 1986 ($7,000-10,000); Alexandria Smith’s The ones that time forgot, mixed media on paper, 2022 ($7,000-10,000); Dianne Smith’s Catalyst, oil on canvas, 2007 ($6,000-9,000); and Sana Musasama’s Untitled (Pottery Doll Series), glazed stoneware with beads, glass and mixed media, circa 2022 ($2,000-3,000).

Exhibition hours are 12 p.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 2, through Saturday, October 4, and Monday, October 6. Bidding is available through online platforms, absentee, the phone, and live in-person. Live online bidding platforms will be the Swann Galleries Website, Invaluable, and Live Auctioneers. The complete catalogue and bidding information is available at www.swanngalleries.com.

IMAGES