Born into slavery in 1853 on a plantation in Alabama, Bill Traylor is one of the most celebrated African American self-taught artists of the twentieth century. The twelve hundred works that he created late in his life, mainly between 1939 and 1942, convey a singular storytelling ethos with complex layers of references to slavery, oppression, and characteristics of the black enclave of Montgomery, where he settled an outdoor working space. Bringing together more than one hundred works from public and private collections, this publication provides a close examination of Traylor’s mythology, narratives, and cinematic vision, formed of condensed, interweaving temporalities and repeated iconography.

This publication was awarded the "Best Fine Arts Book" in the Modern Art category of the FILAF 2019 international competition.

By Valérie Rousseau and Debra Purden. Foreword by Margit Rowell. Hardcover. 192 pages, 133 illustrations. Published by 5 Continents Editions, Milan, 2018.

Dimensions: 8 x 12.5"