Artist Raymond Saunders’s work brings together his extensive formal training with his own observations and lived experience through assemblage-style paintings that feature markings, materials, and talismans.A record of a two-part exhibition presented at David Zwirner and Andrew Kreps Gallery in 2024, this publication considers artist Rayond Saunders’s ability to infuse his work with social relevance and commentary. Featured texts include an: Introduction by curator Ebony L. Haynes and a conversation between Haynes and Ford Foundation Director and Chief Curator Thelma Golden about her multidecade engagement with Saunders’s artwork and writing. A facsimile of Saunders's self-published pamphlet from 1967, Black Is a Color—his vital essay on the creative expression of the artist, along with new annotated commentary by art historian Darby English. An essay by Jarrett Earnest offers an in-depth interpretation of two of Saunders’s complex chalkboard works. A never before published interview from 1980 between the artist and Judith Wilson in which Saunders discusses his multilayered practice. A reprint of a pivotal text from 1993 by art historian Richard J. Powell offers a panoramic examination of Saunders’s art from 1968–1993, with a special focus on his iconic painting Dr. Jesus. — Hardcover, David Zwirner Books, 2025208 p, 8.5 × 10.75 in.
