Frank Bowling’s Americas

Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, presents the first major American survey of Frank Bowling’s work in over four decades.

In 1966, driven by the desire to expand the possibilities of painting, Frank Bowling (born 1934) ventured to New York City. It was his second move across the Atlantic—he had previously left British Guiana, his birthplace, for London in 1953. Over the next decade, during which New York was his primary residence, Bowling charted a journey of profound artistic discovery and self-determination. Debuting at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), Frank Bowling’s Americas delves for the first time into this pivotal early chapter of the boundary-crossing artist’s career. The exhibition brings together more than 30 of Bowling’s powerful paintings in the country of their making—including monumental, color-soaked canvases and rarely seen examples on loan from private collections. Following its presentation at the MFA from October 22, 2022 through April 9, 2023, Frank Bowling’s Americas will travel to the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA), where it will be on view from May 13 through September 10, 2023.

The exhibition is organized at the MFA by Reto Thüring, Beal Family Chair of Contemporary Art; Debra Lennard, Curatorial Assistant, Department of Contemporary Art; and consulting curator Akili Tommasino, Associate Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art at Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“To have an exhibition of this scale in the US after so much time has passed is a real thrill. America gave me the freedom to make the art that I wanted to make and allowed me to forge my own path. It was incredibly liberating. It gives me a kick to see all these paintings together and be reminded of what an exciting place New York was for art and artists in the 1960s and 70s,” said Sir Frank.

In conjunction with Frank Bowling’s Americas, the MFA has launched a yearlong crossinstitutional partnership with UMass Boston and Stony Brook University, New York, where in 1969 Bowling organized 5+1. The exhibition presented work by five African American artists with whom Bowling shared an interest in the possibilities of abstraction—Melvin Edwards, Daniel LaRue Johnson, Al Loving, Jack Whitten and William T. Williams—together with work by Bowling himself, the exhibition’s “plus one.” Despite raising still-resonant questions around representation, agency and discriminatory institutional structures, 5+1 remains underdiscussed, with few materials available for further research. The MFA’s collaboration with undergraduate students at UMass Boston and doctorate researchers at Stony Brook explores the significance of 5+1 in 1969 and today through a digital project and satellite exhibitions at both universities opening in November 2022.

“The years during which New York was Bowling’s primary residence not only mark a chapter of astonishing innovation in his painting, but also active engagement with the vital debates among Black artists regarding forms their artistic practice should take, and where and how Black artists—long excluded from US museums—should exhibit their work. It is also against this broader historical background that the meaning of Bowling’s work between 1966 and 1975 continues to resonate profoundly today” said Thüring.

About the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
The MFA brings many worlds together through art. Showcasing masterpieces from ancient to modern, our renowned collection of nearly 500,000 works tells a multifaceted story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. From Boston locals to international travelers, visitors from across the globe come to experience the MFA. Through both art and audience, the Museum brings together diverse perspectives—revealing connections, exploring differences, creating a community where all belong. Plan your visit
at mfa.org.