Richard Dempsey (1909 - 1987) Untitled (Jamaica) Watercolor on Paper 30 x 20 in. ~ Dempsey was a dynamic painter whose style alternated depending on his mood. His works could be figurative or expressionist or completely abstruse. Dempsey's palette is also quite unique as it is inspired by his youth in Oakland, California and his many travels to the Caribbean. In this grand watercolor, Dempsey creates a murky whirlwind of wide black brush strokes that are scattered with thinner lines from stray hairs of the brush. He breathes life into what can only be described as a motion by scattering drops of water and other colors on the black paint - creating splotches of deep rust, crimson, neon green and every color between the three. This work’s vague, obscure resemblance to the Jamaican flag with it's bright green, goldish yellow and broad strokes of black spark a captivating discourse on Black artists and abstraction. Richard Dempsey (1909 - 1987) was an African-American abstract painter. Dempsey moved to San Francisco at a young age and pursued his studies in art there as well at the California School of Arts and Crafts in Oakland (1932-1934) and the Students Arts Center (1935-1940). In 1941, Dempsey moved to Washington D.C. for a position as an engineering draftsman at the Federal Power Commission. While in Washington, D.C. Dempsey studied art at Howard University with many notable artists like Sargent Johnson, Katherine Gans and James Wells. In 1946, Dempsey was awarded the Julius Rosenwald fund along with Elizabeth Catlett and was commissioned to paint portraits of "Outstanding American Negroes" like Duke Ellington, Ethel Waters, Thurgood Marshall, Adam Clayton Powell and Jacob Lawrence. Richard Dempsey also traveled to the Caribbean, notably Richmond Park, Jamaica, which was a major source of inspiration for his works. ~ #art #arts #nycarts #fineart #artist #billhodgesgallery #gallery #nycgallery #artgallery #africanamericanartist #supportminorityartists #supportthearts #artworld #billhodges #africanamerican #africanamericanart #blackartist #africanamericanartist #africanamerican #blackexcellence #Dempsey #richarddempsey #watercoloronpaper #Jamaica #richarddempsey https://www.instagram.com/p/B5lV02gFpIz/?igshid=ww0oapebdb7a
