"One of Kentucky's most significant African American artists, Wilson graduated from the Art Institute of Chicago in 1923. He spent five more years in the city before moving to New York, where he lived for the rest of his life. Aside from his participation in the WPA's Federal Arts Project and a Guggenheim Fellowship, he was never able to support himself fully by painting. Yet his work has long been praised for its boldness and individuality.".

"Black workers were a favorite subject: field hands, factory workers, loggers, fishermen, and more. Over time his documentary style gave way to one that empasized shape and color over pure representation. This catalog accompanies the first major retrospective of Wilson's paintings."--BOOK JACKET.