Abstract versus figurative painting by Oliver Lee Jackson

Oliver Lee Jackson

Oliver Lee Jackson is a painter, sculptor, printmaker, and draftsman whose work is grounded in figuration. He was born in 1935 in St. Louis, Missouri, and began exhibiting his works in the mid-1960s. Jackson was  involved with the Black Artists Group (1968-72) in St. Louis through his close association with Julius Hemphill and others, acting as consultant and collaborator on multimedia arts presentations for the African American community. 

Jackson’s artworks are in numerous permanent collections including The National Gallery of Art, Washington, DCMuseum of Modern Art, New York; The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; Los Angeles County Museum of Art; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. 

Solo museum exhibition highlights include National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC (2019); & Saint Louis Art Museum, St. Louis, MO (2021-22 & 1980). 

In 2023, Oliver Lee Jackson was given the Lee Krasner Award for lifetime achievement from the Pollock Krasner Foundation

Watch
'Oliver Lee Jackson: There Is No Story,' National Gallery of Art, 2019

Selected Work

Artist News

Installation view of Oliver Lee Jackson painted steel sculpture on the High Line, NY
Exhibition

“A Journey” the High Line
New York, NY

Western Rail Yards

June – October, 2024

While Jackson is better known for his expressive, figurative paintings, the artist also has a robust sculptural practice that he has honed over his long career. The works on view on the High Line were produced by the artist for this exhibition. Since 2020 Jackson has constructed several monumental slotted steel sculptures, largely based on smaller works of his from the late 1990s. The artist honors his utilitarian material, and yet the painted, cut, and pockmarked surfaces animate the sculptures beyond their material properties.

Abstract painting by Oliver Lee Jackson
New installation

SFO Harvey Milk Terminal 1

Oliver Lee Jackson’s Painting (12.16.08), 2008 is on view in Harvey Milk Terminal 1 at San Francisco International Airport. 

Painting (12.16.08), 2008
Oil-based paints on gessoed linen
96 x 108 inches

 
Large outdoor sculpture by Oliver Lee Jackson
Installation

di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art

Untitled [Recumbent Figure], 2022
Three tons of one-inch tempered steel with Rustoleum paints
6 x 8 x 20 feet

Catalog

Exhibitions

Watch

'Painter, printmaker and sculptor Oliver Lee Jackson on the artist who inspires him,' PBS News Hour, 2019

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