Robert Colescott’s exhibition of works mostly not seen before does not disappoint, his works titillate the senses. Bold colors, broad strokes, provocative figures, suggestive scenarios, farcical depictions of religious, historical and autobiographical scenes are the core of these works.

Peter Selz, art historian writes, “Colescott painted figurative painting at a time when figuration was out of the mainstream. Colescott’s art, moreover was, and is, concerned with political issues as well as race and sex. His paint is luscious, his brushstroke is vigorous, his subjects are controversial, and there is an internal structure to his painting with a jazz-like rhythm.”

Colescott, born in Oakland, CA in 1925 was the first African American artist to represent the United States in a solo exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 1997. His mother, a pianist and his father, a jazz musician and railroad porter, were friends with Sergeant Johnson. Johnson and Diego Rivera became the first major influences in the artist’s life. Robert, himself a musician, played drums and performed with local groups but after serving in the army in France during World War II, he returned to the San Francisco Bay Area where he received a BA and MA in art at UC Berkeley. After his time in Paris with Fernand Leger and a significant period in Egypt, Colescott returned to San Francisco and taught during the 1970’s at the San Francisco Art Institute. He is currently Emeritus Professor of the University of Arizona.