Stanley Whitney

Stanley Whitney is an American painter born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on November 11, 1946. He received his BFA from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1968 and his MFA from the Yale University School of Art in 1972. When he began his art career, he felt out of sync with the politically and theoretically oriented environment of the time and chose not to address the identity themes expected of African American artists. Whitney's art is known for its abstract works in loose grid forms, created with vibrant colors. He draws inspiration from jazz music in his work; he likens the interaction of colors and forms to the improvisation and spontaneity inherent in jazz. Throughout his career, the artist has won numerous awards, including a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1996 and the inaugural Robert De Niro Sr. Prize in 2011. In 2017, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.