MoMA Jack Whitten: The Messenger Hardcover Book

Product Description

Jack Whitten: The Messenger is a comprehensive exhibition catalogue published in conjunction with the first full retrospective of Jack Whitten at The Museum of Modern Art.

Edited by Michelle Kuo, this richly illustrated volume explores the life and groundbreaking work of one of the most innovative figures in abstract art. The book features major contributions from leading artists, writers, and scholars, including Glenn Ligon, Julie Mehretu, and Anna Deavere Smith.

Spanning nearly six decades, Whitten’s practice pushed the boundaries of painting through experimental techniques and materials—from acrylic innovations to unconventional tools such as combs and electrostatic processes. Growing up in the segregated American South and later moving to New York in 1960, he developed a unique visual language that engaged deeply with culture, memory, and social justice.

This publication includes new technical research on his methods, previously unpublished archival materials, and writings by the artist himself, offering profound insight into his artistic philosophy—what he described as a “compass to the cosmos.”

✅ Features

• MoMA retrospective catalogue
  
• Contributions from leading contemporary artists and scholars
• Includes archival images and technical studies
• Richly illustrated throughout

✅ Specifications

• Material: Paper
• Pages: 304

✅ Size

cm

• Approx. 25 × 4 × 31 cm

Inches

• Approx. 9.84 × 1.57 × 12.20 in

✅ Weight

• Approx. 2 kg