Robert Blackburn
(1920–2003)Robert Blackburn played a pivotal role in developing printmaking in the United States during the twentieth century.
Biography
The son of Jamaican immigrants, Robert Blackburn settled with his family in Harlem in 1927. Over the next decade, he participated in the vivid art scene in the neighborhood. He took classes at the Harlem Art Workshop; attended events at Charles Alston’s 306 studio, where he was one of the youngest participants; and studied with sculptor Augusta Savage. In 1938, he took classes in lithography at Harlem Community Art Center, before studying at the Art Students League from 1940 to 1943. He was greatly influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, Mexican modernism, and European Abstractionism.
Upon acquiring a litho press in 1947, Blackburn formed a home workshop, often called the “Bob Blackburn Workshop” or “Creative Lithographic Workshop.” It ran as a collaborative workshop until 1971, at which point he incorporated it as a nonprofit organization called the Printmaking Workshop. The space allowed artists to experiment and exchange ideas around the graphic arts, and attracted an international group of participants, resulting in a rich and diverse output of print work. In his practice, Blackburn created Cubist-inspired compositions and colorful abstractions. In addition to running the workshop, Blackburn taught widely and, from 1957 to 1963, he worked as the first master printer for Universal Limited Art Editions, printing the first seventy-nine editions for artists such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Helen Frankenthaler.
In 2002, Blackburn closed the workshop as he began to suffer from health issues. He passed away the following year. The workshop reopened in 2005 as part of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts; it continues to provide space for artists and honors Blackburn’s contributions to the graphic arts. The Studio Museum has presented his work in exhibitions such as New York/Chicago WPA and The Black Artist (1977–78); Impressions/Expressions: Black American Graphics (1979–80); and Challenge of the Modern: African-American Artists 1925–1945 (2003).
Exhibitions and Events
Robert Blackburn
(1920–2003)Robert Blackburn played a pivotal role in developing printmaking in the United States during the twentieth century.
Modern Times, 1975
Biography
The son of Jamaican immigrants, Robert Blackburn settled with his family in Harlem in 1927. Over the next decade, he participated in the vivid art scene in the neighborhood. He took classes at the Harlem Art Workshop; attended events at Charles Alston’s 306 studio, where he was one of the youngest participants; and studied with sculptor Augusta Savage. In 1938, he took classes in lithography at Harlem Community Art Center, before studying at the Art Students League from 1940 to 1943. He was greatly influenced by the Harlem Renaissance, Mexican modernism, and European Abstractionism.
Upon acquiring a litho press in 1947, Blackburn formed a home workshop, often called the “Bob Blackburn Workshop” or “Creative Lithographic Workshop.” It ran as a collaborative workshop until 1971, at which point he incorporated it as a nonprofit organization called the Printmaking Workshop. The space allowed artists to experiment and exchange ideas around the graphic arts, and attracted an international group of participants, resulting in a rich and diverse output of print work. In his practice, Blackburn created Cubist-inspired compositions and colorful abstractions. In addition to running the workshop, Blackburn taught widely and, from 1957 to 1963, he worked as the first master printer for Universal Limited Art Editions, printing the first seventy-nine editions for artists such as Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, and Helen Frankenthaler.
In 2002, Blackburn closed the workshop as he began to suffer from health issues. He passed away the following year. The workshop reopened in 2005 as part of the Elizabeth Foundation for the Arts; it continues to provide space for artists and honors Blackburn’s contributions to the graphic arts. The Studio Museum has presented his work in exhibitions such as New York/Chicago WPA and The Black Artist (1977–78); Impressions/Expressions: Black American Graphics (1979–80); and Challenge of the Modern: African-American Artists 1925–1945 (2003).
Exhibitions and Events