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Wikipedia entry
Introduction
Jack Whitten (December 5, 1939 – January 20, 2018) was an American abstract painter and sculptor. In 2016, he was awarded a National Medal of Arts.
Wikidata
Q6115781
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Getty record
Introduction
Whitten initially studied medicine at the Tuskegee Institute, but moved to Louisiana to begin studying art. He became involved in the Civil Rights movement there, and subsequently moved to New York in 1960 to study at Cooper Union. His mature works were made employing combs, laminations, rakes, and squeegees to apply acrylic paint to canvas. His late works were made using chips of acrylic paint to build mosaic-like surfaces. Whitten's sculptures which he first created in New York and later at his summer home on Crete, consist of carved wood, found objects and materials including bone, marble, paper, glass, nails, and fishing line.
Nationalities
American, African American
Gender
Male
Roles
Artist, Painter, Sculptor
Name
Jack Whitten
Ulan
500077661
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Information from Getty’s Union List of Artist Names ® (ULAN), made available under the ODC Attribution License

Works

8 works online

Exhibitions

View all 10 exhibitions

Audio

Publications

  • Jack Whitten: The Messenger Edited by Michelle Kuo, 2025 Exhibition catalogue, Hardcover, 304 pages
  • MoMA Highlights: 375 Works from The Museum of Modern Art Introduction by Glenn D. Lowry, 2019 Flexibound, 408 pages
  • MoMA Now: Highlights from The Museum of Modern Art—Ninetieth Anniversary Edition Introduction by Glenn D. Lowry, 2019 Hardcover, 424 pages
  • Among Others: Blackness at MoMA Charlotte Barat and Darby English, 2019 Hardcover, 488 pages
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