The emergence of a master artist alongside his first major collection, created during a golden age of art in the nation’s capital
Renowned for his innovative work with silkscreen printing, Lou Stovall’s works are part of numerous collections, including the National Gallery of Art, Smithsonian American Art Museum, and Phillips Collection. Washington Post art critic Paul Richard once wrote, “As a printer of his own art, and of the art of many others, as a framer and installer and shepherd of collections, Stovall has inserted more art into Washington than almost anyone in town.”
Of the Land: The Art and Poetry of Lou Stovall presents a series of prints and accompanying poems that showcase the artist’s work during the 1970s, when he was developing his unique silkscreen technique and exploring both natural and abstract elements. An introduction by the book’s editor and artist’s son, Will Stovall, along with an autobiography from the artist anchor the Of the Land series in its time and place—a period of jazz, protest, and prolific art production in Washington, DC, that birthed the Washington Color School. Stovall’s contributions, as well as his collaborations with well-known artists like Jacob Lawrence, Sam Gilliam, Elizabeth Catlett, and Robert Mangold, have cemented him as one of the most significant American artists of our age.
Part of a tradition of African American artists and thinkers who met at Howard University, Lou Stovall created the Workshop in 1968, a small, active silkscreen studio printing posters for arts and DC-focused events. His deep influence on the silkscreen medium, the art community, and DC will be part of his lasting legacy.
Table of Contents
Visions Mirrored in a Sky
Of the Land
Prelude (February 1973)
Part I (1974)
Drawings
Prelude (January 1974)
Prints
Part II (1977)
Drawings
Prints
Origins
On the Greening of the Artist
My Story
About Lou Stovall
About the Editor
Reviews
"Of the Land is about love, creativity, artistic practice, family, community, collaboration, generosity, and nature. It offers rich information and deep insights about the vitality of the art scene and political community in Washington DC in the 1960s and early 70s. Whether you are a part of the Dupont Circle arts community, a DC citizen yearning for statehood, a citizen of the world profoundly concerned about climate disaster, or a lover of delicate drawings, exquisite prints, and beautiful poetry, this book will speak to you."—Dorothy Kosinski, Vradenburg Director and CEO, The Phillips Collection
"Lou's son Will captures the melody and harmony that shaped his father. Of the Land is more than a book. It is a vessel filled with lovely poems and prints."—E. Ethelbert Miller, writer and literary activist
"The outstanding printmaker Lou Stovall is a key figure of the Washington, DC art scene—a region central to the history of modern art by African Americans. This intimate portrait of his and Di Stovall’s work and life sheds delightful, compelling light on an energetic and prolific corner of our nation’s art world."—Jonathan P. Binstock, Mary W. and Donald R. Clark Director, Memorial Art Gallery of the University of Rochester
"Of the Land: The Art and Poetry of Lou Stovall unfolds like an illustrated panegyric, a praise poem for family, nature, and creative cultivation. Observed from the vantage point of the artist and printmaker, Lou Stovall, this book shares important histories related to Washington DC arts during the 1960s and 1970s. Intimate and personal, Of the Land foregrounds relational networks from Howard University, the Washington Gallery of Modern Art, Dupont Center, and Corcoran Gallery of Art. Interlaced with poetry, prose, philosophy, and art, this gem of a book invites you into the Stovall neighborhood, and how wondrous it is. It will invite readers to return again and again."—Julie L. McGee, associate professor of Africana Studies & Art History, University of Delaware
About the Author
Lou Stovall was born in Athens, Georgia, in 1937 and grew up in Springfield, Massachusetts. He studied at the Rhode Island School of Design and graduated with a BFA from Howard University. He has lived and worked in Washington, DC, since 1962. His prints and drawings are part of numerous public and private collections throughout the world.
Will Stovall is an artist and painter who lives in Washington, DC. He holds a PhD from Yale University with a dissertation on the institutional imagination of philosopher Jürgen Habermas. He manages the Lou Stovall Workshop.
