Wadsworth Jarrell
Wadsworth Jarrell (b. 1929, Albany, GA) is a founding member of AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)*. AfriCOBRA, founded on the South Side of Chicago in 1968 by a collective of young Black artists, whose interest in Transnational Black Aesthetics led them to create one of the most distinctive visual voices in 20th Century American art. The characteristic of the classic AfriCOBRA look are vibrant “Cool Ade” colors, bold text and positive images of Black people, essential to everyday life in the community from which the movement emerged. AfriCOBRA established a philosophical and aesthetic foundation for the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s. The founders’ vision has its roots in the streets, classrooms, studios and living rooms of the South Side, yet its impact has extended around the world, influencing artists such as Kerry James Marshall and Kehinde Wiley. Throughout his career, Wadsworth has celebrated the struggles, strengths and beauty of African Americans in his art.
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Homage to a Giant, 1970
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AACM, 1994
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Navaga, 1974
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Compared to What: I Am Better Than Those Motherfuckers and They Know It, 1969
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Revolutionary, 1972
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Together We Will Win, 1973
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Big Bad Jack, 2019
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Miles, 1998
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At The Three Deuces, 1991
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Lady & Prez #2, 1989
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Neon Row, 1958
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Come Saturday, 1959
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Sundown Ladies, 1959
Wadsworth Jarrell (b. 1929, Albany, GA) is a founding member of AfriCOBRA (African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists)*. AfriCOBRA, founded on the South Side of Chicago in 1968 by a collective of young Black artists, whose interest in Transnational Black Aesthetics led them to create one of the most distinctive visual voices in 20th Century American art. The characteristic of the classic AfriCOBRA look are vibrant “Cool Ade” colors, bold text and positive images of Black people, essential to everyday life in the community from which the movement emerged. AfriCOBRA established a philosophical and aesthetic foundation for the Black Arts Movement of the 1960s and 70s. The founders’ vision has its roots in the streets, classrooms, studios and living rooms of the South Side, yet its impact has extended around the world, influencing artists such as Kerry James Marshall and Kehinde Wiley. Throughout his career, Wadsworth has celebrated the struggles, strengths and beauty of African Americans in his art.
Jarrell is a painter and photographer who creates pattern-intensive portraits that combine vibrant colors with Black Power slogans to depict the intensity of political activism. He also documented the musical life that flourished in Chicago in the late 1960s and 1970s. Jarrell was a member of the Organization of Black American Culture and painted the “Rhythm and Blues” section of The Wall of Respect mural that was located on the South Side of Chicago. Currently, he continues to experiment in his practice with past and present topics surrounding blackness. He is married to Jae Jarrell.
Mr. Jarrell’s work is in many collections including the Whitney Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, Cleveland Museum of Art, High Museum of Art, Museum of Contemporary Art of Georgia, National Museum of African American History and Culture, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. He was included in Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power organized by Tate Modern which traveled to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Brooklyn Museum of Art, The Broad, DeYoung Museum, and the Museum of Fine Arts Houston. Other recent exhibitions include the AfricaCOBRA: Nation Time an official collateral event of the 58th Venice Biennale, AfriCOBRA: Messages to the People at the Museum of Contemporary Art North Miami, The Time Is Now! Art Worlds of Chicago’s South Side 1960-1980 at the Smart Museum of Art, Heritage: Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell at The Cleveland Museum of Art, and The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now at MCA Chicago, ICA Philadelphia, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. In 2020, Wadsworth debuted his book AFRICOBRA: Experimental Art Towards a School of Thought and was interviewed with Jae Jarrell by Hans Ulrich Obrist as part of Obrist’s Interview Project. He attended the Art Institute of Chicago and received his MFA from Howard University. Jarrell taught painting at Howard University and University of Georgia. In 2022, Wadsworth and Jae Jarrell will have solo exhibitions at Jenkins Johnson Gallery. He lives and works in Cleveland, Ohio.
*Five AfriCOBRA Founding Members:
Jeff Donaldson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Barbara Jones-Hogu and Gerald Williams.
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FOG Design+Art
San Francisco, CA 18 - 21 Jan 2024Jenkins Johnson will present eleven artists of the African Diaspora that include works by Adrian Burrell, Renee Cox, Dewey Crumpler, David Driskell, Lola Flash, Violet...Read more -
Art Basel | Miami Beach
Miami, FL 6 - 10 Dec 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery will participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, December 8 - 10, 2023 Booth B31. We will feature artists that explore social and political issues of the African Diaspora by connecting past and current moments: Mary Lovelace O'Neal, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith, Patrick Alston, Adrian Burrell, Dewey Crumper, Lisa Corinne Davis, Violet Fields, Alex Jackson, Blessing Ngobeni, Gregory Rick, Enrico Riley, and Raelis Vasquez. Jenkins Johnson Gallery will be participating in the Kabinett sector with a solo presentation of works on paper by Mary Lovelace O'Neal, featuring her iconic Lampblack (1970's) and Desert Women (1990's) series. In the Lampblack drawings she layers black charcoal and pastel, allowing slivers of negative space to invade the surface. These drawings speak to her affair with an "uncluttered minimalist viewpoint", invoking both a cultural and aesthetic sentiment. In Desert Women series, Lovelace O'Neal portrays garments worn in the Sahara Desert in Egypt and the Atacama Desert in Chile. She studied with master printmaker James Lesene Wells and at The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Lovelace O'Neal creates based on feeling and perception, forming moments of fleeting light. Her work is in museums including the Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Baltimore Museum, DeYoung Museum, and Brooklyn Museum. She has an upcoming solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in Spring 2024.Read more -
Art Basel
Basel, Switzerland 13 - 18 Jun 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is excited to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of Art Basel. Our booth will be located at C11, the fair...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 13 - 16 Apr 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of EXPO Chicago which will take place at the Navy Pier's Festival...Read more -
Art Basel | Miami Beach
Miami, FL 29 Nov - 3 Dec 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery were thrilled to participate in Art Basel Miami Beach. The fair took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from November 29...Read more -
Art Basel
Basel, Switzerland 16 - 19 Jun 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Art Basel,which occured June 16-19, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks,...Read more -
Frieze NY
New York, NY 18 - 22 May 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Frieze New York, which occured May 18-22, 2022. We presented the works of Sydney Cain, Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex Jackson,...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 7 - 10 Apr 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at EXPO Chicago,which occured April 7-10, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex Jackson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
Frieze Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 17 - 20 Feb 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Frieze Los Angeles,which occured Feburary 17-20, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Lola Flash, Alex Jackson, Wadsworth...Read more -
FOG Design + Art
San Francisco, CA 19 - 23 Jan 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at FOG Design + Art, which occured January 19-23, 2022 at Fort Mason Center. We presented the works of Dewey Crumpler,...Read more -
Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami, FL 1 - 4 Dec 2021Jenkins Johnson will present artists who explore social and political issues of the Black Diaspora by bridging historical and contemporary moments: Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
The Art Show
New York, NY 3 - 7 Nov 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to partake in The Art Show 2021 at the Park Avenue Armory from November 3 through November 7th, 2021. We...Read more -
Frieze London OVR
London, United Kingdom 13 - 17 Oct 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in Frieze London OVR 2021. The online viewing room was live from October 13th through October 17th. The...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 9 - 12 Sep 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participate in The Armory Show 2021 at the Javits Center from September 9th - 12th. We presented a selection...Read more -
FIAC
Online Viewing Room 4 - 7 Mar 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participte in FIAC's Online Viewing Rooms 2021. We presented a selection of works by Dewey Crumpler, Lisa Corinne Davis,...Read more -
South South Veza
Online Viewing Room 23 Feb - 7 Mar 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in South South Veza. The virtual platform was live from February 23, 2021 at 1pm GMT with a...Read more -
Art Basel OVR:20c
Virtual Art Fair 28 - 31 Oct 2020Jenkins Johnson presents three artists who explore environmental, social and political issues of the Black Diaspora: Aubrey Williams and Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell. Williams, a...Read more -
Frieze London
London, England 7 - 16 Oct 2020Jenkins Johnson’s artists explore social, environmental and political issues, connecting past and present moments. Twentieth century and contemporary artists are: Kwame Brathwaite, Lisa Corrine Davis,...Read more -
Conversations on Culture #5
Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell in Conversation with Reto Thüring 8 May 2020Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell, legacy artists and founding members of AfriCOBRA, were joined by special guest host, Reto Thüring, curator and Chair of Contemporary Fine...Read more -
Frieze New York
New York, NY 6 - 15 May 2020From May 8 - 15, 2020, Jenkins Johnson Gallery will exhibit at Frieze New York ‘s virtual viewing room . Our viewing room will feature...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 4 - 8 Mar 2020Jenkins G allery is pleased to announce our presence at T he Armory Show, March 4 - 8 , Booth 825 , Pier 90 ....Read more -
FOG Design + Art
San Francisco, CA 15 - 19 Jan 2020Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in FOG Design + Art at Fort Mason Center, January 15-19, 2020 in Booth 304. We...Read more
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FOG Design+Art
San Francisco, CA 18 - 21 Jan 2024Jenkins Johnson will present eleven artists of the African Diaspora that include works by Adrian Burrell, Renee Cox, Dewey Crumpler, David Driskell, Lola Flash, Violet...Read more -
Art Basel | Miami Beach
Miami, FL 6 - 10 Dec 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery will participate in Art Basel Miami Beach, December 8 - 10, 2023 Booth B31. We will feature artists that explore social and political issues of the African Diaspora by connecting past and current moments: Mary Lovelace O'Neal, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks, Ming Smith, Patrick Alston, Adrian Burrell, Dewey Crumper, Lisa Corinne Davis, Violet Fields, Alex Jackson, Blessing Ngobeni, Gregory Rick, Enrico Riley, and Raelis Vasquez. Jenkins Johnson Gallery will be participating in the Kabinett sector with a solo presentation of works on paper by Mary Lovelace O'Neal, featuring her iconic Lampblack (1970's) and Desert Women (1990's) series. In the Lampblack drawings she layers black charcoal and pastel, allowing slivers of negative space to invade the surface. These drawings speak to her affair with an "uncluttered minimalist viewpoint", invoking both a cultural and aesthetic sentiment. In Desert Women series, Lovelace O'Neal portrays garments worn in the Sahara Desert in Egypt and the Atacama Desert in Chile. She studied with master printmaker James Lesene Wells and at The Robert Blackburn Printmaking Workshop. Lovelace O'Neal creates based on feeling and perception, forming moments of fleeting light. Her work is in museums including the Art Institute of Chicago, San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, Baltimore Museum, DeYoung Museum, and Brooklyn Museum. She has an upcoming solo exhibition at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in Spring 2024.Read more -
Art Basel
Basel, Switzerland 13 - 18 Jun 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is excited to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of Art Basel. Our booth will be located at C11, the fair...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 13 - 16 Apr 2023Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in the 2023 edition of EXPO Chicago which will take place at the Navy Pier's Festival...Read more -
Art Basel | Miami Beach
Miami, FL 29 Nov - 3 Dec 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery were thrilled to participate in Art Basel Miami Beach. The fair took place at the Miami Beach Convention Center from November 29...Read more -
Art Basel
Basel, Switzerland 16 - 19 Jun 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Art Basel,which occured June 16-19, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell, Gordon Parks,...Read more -
Frieze NY
New York, NY 18 - 22 May 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Frieze New York, which occured May 18-22, 2022. We presented the works of Sydney Cain, Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex Jackson,...Read more -
EXPO Chicago
Chicago, IL 7 - 10 Apr 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at EXPO Chicago,which occured April 7-10, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Alex Jackson, Jae Jarrell, Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
Frieze Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA 17 - 20 Feb 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at Frieze Los Angeles,which occured Feburary 17-20, 2022. We presented the works of Lisa Corinne Davis, Lola Flash, Alex Jackson, Wadsworth...Read more -
FOG Design + Art
San Francisco, CA 19 - 23 Jan 2022Jenkins Johnson Gallery exhibited at FOG Design + Art, which occured January 19-23, 2022 at Fort Mason Center. We presented the works of Dewey Crumpler,...Read more -
Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami, FL 1 - 4 Dec 2021Jenkins Johnson will present artists who explore social and political issues of the Black Diaspora by bridging historical and contemporary moments: Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell,...Read more -
The Art Show
New York, NY 3 - 7 Nov 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to partake in The Art Show 2021 at the Park Avenue Armory from November 3 through November 7th, 2021. We...Read more -
Frieze London OVR
London, United Kingdom 13 - 17 Oct 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in Frieze London OVR 2021. The online viewing room was live from October 13th through October 17th. The...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 9 - 12 Sep 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participate in The Armory Show 2021 at the Javits Center from September 9th - 12th. We presented a selection...Read more -
FIAC
Online Viewing Room 4 - 7 Mar 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was pleased to participte in FIAC's Online Viewing Rooms 2021. We presented a selection of works by Dewey Crumpler, Lisa Corinne Davis,...Read more -
South South Veza
Online Viewing Room 23 Feb - 7 Mar 2021Jenkins Johnson Gallery was proud to participate in South South Veza. The virtual platform was live from February 23, 2021 at 1pm GMT with a...Read more -
Art Basel Miami Beach
Miami Beach, FL 3 - 6 Dec 2020Jenkins Johnson presented artists who explore social and political issues of the Diaspora by linking past and contemporary moments. To strengthen this connection, we will...Read more -
Art Basel OVR:20c
Virtual Art Fair 28 - 31 Oct 2020Jenkins Johnson presents three artists who explore environmental, social and political issues of the Black Diaspora: Aubrey Williams and Jae and Wadsworth Jarrell. Williams, a...Read more -
Frieze London
London, England 7 - 16 Oct 2020Jenkins Johnson’s artists explore social, environmental and political issues, connecting past and present moments. Twentieth century and contemporary artists are: Kwame Brathwaite, Lisa Corrine Davis,...Read more -
Frieze New York
New York, NY 6 - 15 May 2020From May 8 - 15, 2020, Jenkins Johnson Gallery will exhibit at Frieze New York ‘s virtual viewing room . Our viewing room will feature...Read more -
The Armory Show
New York, NY 4 - 8 Mar 2020Jenkins G allery is pleased to announce our presence at T he Armory Show, March 4 - 8 , Booth 825 , Pier 90 ....Read more -
FOG Design + Art
San Francisco, CA 15 - 19 Jan 2020Jenkins Johnson Gallery is pleased to announce its participation in FOG Design + Art at Fort Mason Center, January 15-19, 2020 in Booth 304. We...Read more