Beauford Delaney mixes styles, colors and shapes to present his unique take on the world, and his progression from creating structured cityscapes and portraits to crafting abstract visions can be seen in the exhibit Beauford Delaney: From New York to Paris. The paintings are organized in clusters to reflect specific parts of Delaney's career: his early, more realistic work in New York, a partial recreation of the Pyramid Club exhibit in Philadelphia in 1947, and the abstractions in Paris. Whereas much of his early work depicted street scenes full of shapes and people, the later works are primarily just colors, reflecting the freedom he discovered in the abstract style popular in Paris. A key segment of the exhibit consists of Delaney's portraits, particularly those of author and political activist, James Baldwin. The artwork is wildly varied, from the full-body portrait Dark Rapture (1941) to the close-cropped Portrait of James Baldwin (1945) to the abstract The Sage Black (1967).
Regardless of which style he uses, Delaney always imbues the paintings with his own subjective beliefs, whether it be painting doves to symbolize peace in Washington Square or imagining a yellow and lavender sky in Ciel. The contrast and blending of the colors make it so every picture appears to move, because Delaney was willing to use any color in any place--whether realistic or not. The brush strokes, at times smooth, at times rough, are never violent, but always forceful, and one can sense the intensity that went into each creation. Even when he softens the colors, there is a certain magnetism that cannot be ignored.
For those looking to hear some interpretations of Delaney's pieces as well as to learn more about his life, the $5 audio tour is a useful tool. You can listen to Ella Fitzgerald to feel the impact that jazz had on Delaney and observe how he tried to evoke those same feelings through his art, in works such as L'Oiseau Charley Parker and his portrait of Fitzgerald. It is also worthwhile to simply wander through the exhibit without an aid. Many of the later paintings are called Abstraction or are untitled, leaving the viewer free to search for understanding without the influence of a name. That's the great thing about art--in the end, it doesn't matter what the artist intended, it just matters what you think. Maybe that is what Beauford Delaney was getting at the whole time.
