Alvin D. Loving Jr.

Place: Detroit

Born: 1935

Death: 2005

Biography:

Alvin D. Loving Jr., better known as Al Loving, was an African-American abstract expressionist painter. His work is known for hard-edge abstraction, dyed fabric paintings, and large paper collages, all exploring complicated color relationships. Born on September 19, 1935, in Detroit, Michigan, Loving earned a BFA from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign in 1963 and an MFA from the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor.

Early Career

Loving's mentor at the University of Michigan was Al Mullen, who helped him get involved with the Once Group organization. In 1968 Loving moved to New York City, where he moved into the infamous Hotel Chelsea. Within a year of moving to New York City, Loving had his first solo show at the Whitney Museum of American Art. He received National Endowment for the Arts fellowships in 1970, 1974, and 1984.

Artistic Style

Loving's artistic style can be characterized by his use of hard-edge abstraction, dyed fabric paintings, and large paper collages. His hard-edge abstraction series was inspired by Josef Albers's paintings of squares within squares. Loving would often make polyhedrons of the same size, with different colors, and hang them together in different arrangements on the wall. The result was sometimes dozens of canvases stretching out over several feet; to view an entire composition would take time, more than just a glance, making his paintings a powerful expression of time, too. Loving's dyed fabric paintings were inspired by a visit to the Whitney Museum of American Art's exhibition Abstract Design in American Quilts. He started hanging strips of canvas from the walls and ceilings, playing with our perception of pictorial and sculptural ideals. Then, he reattached the fragments together with a sewing machine, creating large flowing fabric constructions.

Notable Works and Exhibitions

Some of Loving's notable works include A Message to Demar and Lauri, a 208' x 80' mural painting on The First National Bank Building in Detroit, Michigan, and New Morning 1, a 54' x 7' painting for the Empire State Collection in Albany, New York. Loving exhibited steadily throughout his life in solo and group exhibitions at numerous venues, including the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Studio Museum in Harlem; Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase, New York; Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul-de-Vence, France; and PS1 Contemporary Art Center, Queens, New York.

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like Alvin D. Loving Jr. have made significant contributions to the art world, and their work continues to inspire new generations of artists. Loving's use of hard-edge abstraction and dyed fabric paintings has had a lasting impact on the art world, and his legacy can be seen in the many exhibitions and collections that feature his work.