Ed Clark

A New Orleans native, Ed Clark was one of the few African-American artists to gain exposure during the 1950s heyday of the New York School. A second-generation Abstract Expressionist, he made his solo debut at Brata Gallery, one of the several co-op spaces along East Tenth Street that nurtured postwar talents. Clark was also a pioneer of using shaped canvases in his work, though white artists like Frank Stella received credit for the innovation. Like other midcentury musicians, writers and artists of color, Clark spent time living and working in Paris and still divides his time between there and New York. His gallery debut features paintings created over the past 19 years, all of them characterized by sweeping strokes of color applied with a push broom. Tough yet lyrical, the work reveals the 93-year old artist at the height of his powers.