Elliott Pinkney (b. 1938 - 2019) was a dear friend to my parents. When they were young curators and art dealers during the 70s Black Arts Movement in Los Angeles, they curated shows where Mr. Pinkney’s art was sold alongside other close friends like the world renowned sculptor Charles Dickson (b. 1947) and Ernie Barnes (b. 1938 - 2009). Over 50 years later, a rare collection of work is still intact, which tells of Mr. Pinkney’s skill and the amazing archiving my mother has graciously performed for decades. Unlike his oil canvas work like the Doorman, this series was created to be like a journal, new technology, small, light and transient - the mood of the 70s. Black artists wanted to move fast, spread the gospel discreetly, yet be powerful enough with a message of resistance to reach the masses. Paper was the way.

Like Warhol and Elizabeth Catlett, he nods in agreement to screen print pop art, using mass production techniques, a deliberate choice which allowed him to celebrate and critique consumers of Black culture, disrupt traditional ideas of value and to amplify his output. By collaborating with print publishers, his vision of making his message and art more accessible - he created the perfect vehicle for image repetition and mass production. This philosophical choice allowed him to create rare editions of the same image. 

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Looking at his work today, it resonates even more than it ever did. The use of color makes one feel like the sun glazing over a sundial. His love for peace and the human spirit is like a prayer. His work on paper shifts my perspective of technology. He did every single screen print by hand, looking back to artisanal practices of West Africa, which is very similar to hand stamping material, prior to the availability of paper.

The message goes even deeper regarding the intersectionality of passing objects down from one to another, friendship during the Black Arts Movement and passages of time on paper - a journal of the people. Using technology of ink to paper to convey the message of accessibility, facilitates his vision of valuing Black body politics and most importantly - love for the human spirit.

The intent of this online catalogue is to ensure that Mr. Pinkney's pieces are available to be viewed for academic and research purposes. Sit back and explore this extremely rare digital collection of signed screen prints, including print series numbers, special-edition proofs and the original portfolio belonging to Mr. Pinkney. Discover these intimate works of an American icon for the first time - which tells a story through paper and color, an artist’s life. Thank you.

Written by:  Weléla Mar Kindred

Provenance:  Estate of LFH; Private Collection of Weléla Mar Kindred