John Rozelle featured in St. Louis Art Museum’s “African American Abstraction: St. Louis Connections” through March 23rd in gallery 337

The Saint Louis Art Museum African American Abstraction: St. Louis Connections, an installation of thought-provoking abstract works from both the Museum’s collection and local private collections features artists Oliver Jackson (born 1935), John Rozelle (born 1944), Phillip J. Hampton (born 1922) and Michael Marshall (born 1953).

John Rozelle’s abstract mixed media works communicate profound emotional content through a multiplicity of formal elements and found objects. The artist’s interest in African visual culture is manifested in the qualities of accumulation and accretion, which suggest power and the enacting of ritual.

Each of the artists has connections to the St. Louis area. St. Louis made a mark on the national art scene in the late 1960s with the formation of the Black Artists’ Group (B.A.G.). Oliver Jackson was a leading voice during this moment, and his work has influenced both Rozelle and Marshall. Additionally all four have taught in the region, and both Marshall and Jackson exhibited work in the Museum’s Currents series in 1989 and 1990 respectively. The Currents series is a laboratory for new work by emerging and mid-career artists.

Curated by Andrew Walker, assistant director for curatorial affairs and curator of American art, with the assistance of Alisa Swindell, Romare Bearden fellow, and Janeen Turk, curatorial assistant, African American Abstraction: St. Louis Connections will be on view in Gallery 337 through March 23, 2008.

One Fine Arts Drive, Forest Park, St. Louis, MO 63110-1380
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