Frank Bowling (b. 1934) was born in British Guiana (now Guyana). He moved to London in 1953 and studied at the Royal College of Art, graduating in 1962 with a silver medal for painting. By the early 1960s, he was recognized in the London art scene due to his individual language of painting, influenced by the expressionist figuration of Francis Bacon and pop art, which resulted in works reflecting his autobiographical and sociopolitical views. Bowling pushed his works in new directions when he moved to New York in 1966 and began interacting with artists such as Jasper Johns, Jack Whitten, Mel Edwards, Al Loving, and Daniel Johnson. In 1969 he organized, curated, and wrote the catalouge for the 5 + 1 exhibition, shown at SUNY, Stony Brook University, and Princeton University. He was the contributing editor to Arts Magazine from 1969-1972. His writings for the publication expressed his frustration at the critical invisibility of black artists and the reductive label of “Black Art.” Bowling completed his iconic series of ‘Map Paintings’ combining abstraction and personal memory in 1971 before it was exhibited at the Whitney Museum of American Art. Bowling returned to London in 1975 and continued to spend time in New York. His current works utilize thick impasto textures, acrylic gels, collages, stitched canvas, and metallic and pearlescent pigments to expand his artistic language. He currently lives and works in South London.
