A. B. Jackson (painter)

A. B. Jackson (April 18, 1925 – March 23, 1981)[1] was an American painter.

Alexander "A.B." Jackson in front of one of his works, circa 1980-1981
A. B. Jackson
BornApril 18, 1925 
DiedMarch 23, 1981  (aged 55)

Life and career

Alexander Brooks Jackson was born in New Haven, Connecticut, the son of a black father and an English mother who was born in Manchester, England.[2][3] and earned both BFA and MFA degrees from Yale University, studying with Josef Albers[4] in the mid-1950s. Before entering the teaching field, he worked for three years in the Watson-Manning Advertising Agency in Stratford, Connecticut, as a designer.

He worked briefly as an instructor at Southern University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in 1955, before moving to Norfolk, Virginia, in 1956.[1] In 1967, after teaching 10 years at Norfolk State, he joined Old Dominion University (ODU) as a full professor, becoming its first black faculty member.

During the years he taught, Jackson also exhibited his art in shows in many local and neighboring areas.[5] Having been denied entry to the Virginia Beach Boardwalk Art show in 1962 because of his race, he won best-in-show in 1966.[3] Jackson received significant attention in 1968, after several of his drawings were included in a Smithsonian Institution traveling art exhibition.[5] Influenced by Rembrandt, Jackson worked in a range of materials, including watercolors, pastels, charcoal and acrylic.[6] His series of paintings entitled "The Porch People" depicts anonymous sitters on their porches in Ghent, the district of Norfolk, Virginia, where he lived. His book, As I See Ghent: A Visual Essay, was published in 1979.[1][3]

Jackson died in 1981, at the age of 55.

Jackson is represented in the permanent collections of:

Legacy

Passerby: An A.B. Jackson Retrospective showed at The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, ODU, from May 23, 2015 until August 2, 2015.[7]

Personal life

Jackson is the maternal grandfather of Seattle Seahawks quarterback Russell Wilson.[2]

References
  1. "The Papers of A.B. Jackson: Biography", Special Collections & University Archives, Old Dominion University.
  2. Russell Wilson with Dr. Henry Louis Gates, Jr. at The Richmond Forum. April 18, 2016. Retrieved April 18, 2016 – via YouTube.
  3. "A.B. Jackson" Archived 2015-08-22 at the Wayback Machine, Quest, Old Dominion University.
  4. Kathryn Waggener McGuire, "A. B. Jackson and the 'black art' paradigm" Archived 2015-02-11 at the Wayback Machine, Visual Inquiry: Learning & Teaching Art, Volume 2, Issue 3, September 2013. Published by Intellect.
  5. George Paaswell, "Exhibit Offers Study Of A Vanishing Culture; Works Of A.b. Jackson At Suffolk Museum", Daily Press, February 2, 1990.
  6. "NCCU Art Museum Receives Major Donation Of A.B. Jackson Works" (press release), North Carolina Central University Art Museum, June 25, 2009.
  7. "Upcoming events", The Baron and Ellin Gordon Art Galleries, Old Dominion University.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.