Raymond Saunders is now represented by David Zwirner and Andrew Kreps Gallery.
Raymond Saunders, Untitled, 1990. © Raymond Saunders. Courtesy the artist, Andrew Kreps, and David Zwirner.
David Zwirner, in partnership with Andrew Kreps Gallery, has announced the co-representation of American artist Raymond Saunders. Both galleries will debut a comprehensive two-part solo exhibition titled “Post No Bills,” curated by Ebony L. Haynes, opening on February 22nd at David Zwirner and Andrew Kreps Gallery in Chelsea and Tribeca, respectively. Spanning four decades of the artist’s career, the show will feature a selection of Saunders’s paintings and works on paper, including many pieces that will be displayed to the public for the first time.
Born in Pittsburgh in 1934, Saunders is celebrated for his assemblage-style paintings, which incorporate a blend of expressive brushstrokes, minimalist motifs, line drawings, collaged elements, and bright colors. These paintings are often accompanied by found objects from urban environments. Saunders’s first solo exhibitions were held in the late 1960s and early ’70s at Terry Dintenfass Gallery in New York City. He eventually presented his first solo museum exhibition in 1971 at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA).
His notable 1967 pamphlet, Black Is a Color, challenged conventional narratives about Black artists and their work, advocating for a separation of identity from artistic output. This text cemented Saunders’s position as a critical voice in the discourse on art and race.
Later in life, Saunders’s work has appeared in several significant group shows, including “Now Dig This! Art and Black Los Angeles 1960–1980,” curated by Kellie Jones at the Hammer Museum in 2011; “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power” at Tate Modern in London” in 2017; “Just Above Midtown: Changing Spaces” at The Museum of Modern Art in New York in 2022.
In 2021, Andrew Kreps and Casemore Gallery co-organized a 40-year survey of the artist’s work; the following year, Kreps held Saunders’ first solo exhibition in New York since 1998; and this past June, Casemore held its second solo exhibition of the artist’s work at its San Francisco gallery.