Black Poet c. 1987

David Driskell made 'Black Poet' on a small sheet of paper, we don't know exactly when. It's a mixture of colour and mark-making that feels both worked over and immediate. The surface is alive with scribbled lines and translucent washes of colour. He's built up the image bit by bit, letting the colours mix and mingle. Down below, these marks almost look like standing figures, while up above, a face emerges, framed by foliage. It's like he's trying to bring forth a presence, coaxing it into being through layers of colour and form. Look at how he uses white in the lower section, scumbling it over other colours to create texture and depth. It's not just about representation; it's about the act of painting itself. Driskell's work often draws on African and African American themes, in a similar way to the work of Jacob Lawrence, where the act of painting becomes a way of connecting with history and culture. It’s about keeping the conversation going, one painting at a time.