Prints By Reginald Gammon

Reginald Gammon (1921-2005), originally from Philadelphia, moved to New York City in 1951. He taught in the New York public schools and for 21 years at Western Michigan University. When he retired to New Mexico in 1992 he became active in the arts scene here. Gammon’s paintings and prints often explore aspects of African American life and history. He was a member of the black artists’ collective, Spiral, with Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Hale Woodruff and Emma Amos, among others. He was an avid jazz fan and saw many concerts in New York. Gammon made his own bold interpretations of such artists such as Bessie Smith, Louis Armstrong and Lester Young performing. The expressiveness of his lines and color suggest the sounds and cadences of the performances represented on these silent sheets of paper. The juxtaposition of his sensuous nudes with the jazz portraits in this exhibition reflect the multisensory element of jazz syncopation. Gammon once said, “The human physiognomy is as great a landscape as you can find or as great a still life as you can find.” These prints were created at New Grounds Print Workshop & Gallery in Albuquerque located just blocks from the Outpost. Gammon was a founding member of New Grounds in 1996. While in New York the artist had worked as a commercial artist, painter and printmaker. Known mainly as a painter, Gammon revived his interest in making prints when he moved to Albuquerque. In 2007-8 New Grounds Gallery and the Albuquerque Museum and the African American Performing Arts Center held exhibitions to honor Gammon and his legacy. In 1997 Gammon showed in the original Inpost Artspace Gallery at the old Outpost on Morningside Dr.  Dr. Kymberly Pinder, dean of the College of Fine Arts at the University of New Mexico has the curated this show on the 20th Anniversary of Gammon’s last Inpost Artspace show. FREE!

EXHIBITION DATES: July 9 – September 30

REGINALD GAMMON (1921-2005)

Available works by Reginald Gammon at Shop BAIA Online