Atopolis: For Édouard Glissant

Critically admired for his relentless exploration into the process and materiality of painting, Jack Whitten’s contribution to the medium’s historic development is widely recognized. Born in Alabama in 1939 to a seamstress and a coal-worker, Whitten initially planned to become an army doctor, leading him to enroll at the Tuskegee Institute. During this time, Whitten became inspired by George Washington Carver, a Renaissance man, and consequently transferred to the Southern University in Baton Rouge to study art. Whitten eventually settled in New York City in 1960 where he enrolled at the Cooper Union, graduating with a bachelor’s degree in fine art in 1964.

New York, NY, USA