Acrylic on cotton canvas, 2012. 203x152 mm; 8x6 inches. Signed, titled, dated and inscribed "acrylic on canvas" in ink, verso.
Provenance: donated by the artist and acquired from the 2012 Select Exhibition and Art Auction Gala, Washington Project for the Arts; private collection, Washington DC (2012).
Born in Benton Harbor, Michigan in 1956, John Bankston received his BFA from the University of Chicago and his MFA in painting from the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. Bankston is known for his signature coloring book style format where he employs playful characters who develop commonality, shared interests, and explored behavior as a metaphor for male relationships. Themes of masculinity and challenged with the use of traditional macho accessories juxtaposed with flamboyant head pieces and clothing.
John Bankston work has been exhibited at The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Andy Warhol Museum, Pittsburgh, The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, The Contemporary Art Museum Houston and Wexner Center for the Arts. Bankston is the recipient of the Fleishhacker Award (2004), the Joan Mitchell Foundation Award (2002), the SECA Art Award (2002) and the Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Fellowship (2001).
