The Art of Richard Mayhew

A Critical Analysis with Interviews

African American and American Indian artist Richard Mayhew was a pivotal member of the movement, headed by Romare Bearden, of the most important black artists of the Abstract Expressionist era. Bearden’s group, Spiral, was formed as a visual response to the March on Washington. Mayhew associated with Jackson Pollock, Robert Motherwell, and Bearden, and formed alliances with such African American artists as Faith Ringgold, Norman Lewis, Ed Clark, and Emma Amos; his work is exhibited in major collections and museums throughout the world. This book explores his art and discusses the critical exclusion from the history of art of Native Americans and African Americans who are not figurative or “narrative” and creates a framework for reconsideration of such art.