Robert Colescott

Robert Colescott (American, 1925-2009)

Oakland, California-born Robert Colescott trained at Berkeley and drew from his rich knowledge of art history to create paintings that explore racial identity and sex in a satiric and provocative way. The first artist-in-residence at the American Research Center in Cairo (1964-1967) and the first African American artist to represent the United States at the Venice Biennale in 1997, Colescott earned acclaim by appropriating European paintings to critique and challenge American culture.

Important Sources:

Karstrom, Paul. Oral History Interview with Robert Colescott. Washington D.C.: Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution. 14 April 1999.

Lobel, Michael. “Black to Front: Michael Lobel on Robert Colescott.” Artforum. Vol. 43, No. 2. October 2004.

Sims, Lowery S. and Mitchell D. Kahan. Robert Colescott: A Retrospective, 1975-1986. San Jose: San Jose Museum of Art. 1987.

TAL