Plans for the current exhibition, Paul Keene: Post War Explorations in Painting began with the discovery of paintings stored in the attic of the Keene home. Hidden way for decades, these works are a rich record of Paul’s early career. His GI Bill opportunity to work in Paris was soon followed by a John Hay Whitney Fellowship which supported a two year residency in at the Centre d’Arte, Port-au-Prince, Haiti (1951-1953).
The exhibition celebrates a too little known period of Paul’s career. The paintings are hybrids of Paul’s exposure to the early Modern & Contemporary art he found in Paris and the authentic West African cultural traditions he sought in Haiti. Gallery shows upon his return from both sojourns sold out thanks to the astute Philadelphia collector and philanthropist, Ben Bernstein.
Prior to traveling to Georgia College this exhibition was presented at the La Salle University Art Museum in Philadelphia, PA and the North Carolina Central University Art Museum in Durham, NC.
This exhibition was organized in collaboration with Dolan/Maxwell and is curated for Georgia College by Carlos M. Herrera and Ernesto R. Gómez.
