Seven Septahedrons, 1969
Acrylic on canvas
7 elements, each 18 x 18 inches
Born in Detroit in 1935, Al Loving studied painting at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor. In 1968, Loving relocated to New York, where he found himself among a social milieu which included artists Robert Duran, Alan Shields, Howardena Pindell, Richard Van Buren, and the dancer and choreographer Batya Zamir. A year later, in 1969, Loving famously became the first African-American to have a one-person show at the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Unlike many African-American artists whose art focused on the racial politics of the era, Loving was a staunch abstractionist. His early works were built upon strict yet simple geometric shapes—often hexagonal or cubic modules. Inspired by Hans Hoffmann (who taught Loving’s mentor Al Mullen), Loving concentrated on the tension between flatness and spatial illusionism. In the 1970s the artist became disenchanted with his earlier, hard-edge geometric paintings. Loving dispensed with notions of centralized composition, figure/ground separation, and pictorial frame in his later torn canvas and collaged paper works. He combined hundreds of pieces of cut and torn canvas or paper into an abundance of overlapping patterns and shapes, their rich and intuitive array of colors stretch irregularly, spiraling outward, surrounding the space, and engulfing the viewer.
Throughout his career, Loving had solo exhibitions at many well-known institutions, including: Gertrude Kasle Gallery (1969, 1970, Detroit), William Zierler, Inc. (1971, 1972, 1973, New York), Fischbach Gallery (1974, 1976, New York), The Studio Museum in Harlem (1977, 1986, New York), Diane Brewer Gallery (1980, 1983, New York), June Kelly Gallery (1988, 1990, 1992, New York), the Neuberger Museum of Art (1998, Purchase, New York), and Kenkeleba House (2005, New York). His work was also featured in many important group exhibitions, such as L’art vivant aux États-Unis (1970, Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul, France), Contemporary Black Artists in America (1971, Whitney Museum of American Art), Lamp Black: Afro-American Artists, New York and Boston (1973, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston), Another Generation (1979, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York), Afro-American Abstraction (1981, P.S. 1 Contemporary Art Center, Queens), and The Appropriate Object (1989, Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo), among others. More recently, Loving’s work appeared in High Times, Hard Times: New York Painting, 1967–1975 (2006, Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro), Target Practice: Painting Under Attack, 1949–1978 (2009, Seattle Art Museum), America is Hard to See (2015, Whitney Museum of American Art), Marrakech Biennale 6 (2016, Morocco), and Tales of Brave Ulysses (2023, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York).
Loving’s work is featured in the collections of major museums around the country, including: Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas; the Detroit Institute of Arts; the Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; the Museum of Modern Art; the National Gallery of Art; the Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Winter Park, Florida; the Pérez Art Museum Miami; the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia; the Philadelphia Museum of Art; the Rose Art Museum, Waltham, Massachusetts; and the Whitney Museum of American Art.
Al Loving
1935
Born: Detroit, Michigan
2005
Died: New York, New York
EDUCATION
1959–1963
University of Illinois, Urbana
1963–1965
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor
SELECTED SOLO EXHIBITIONS
1969
Alvin Loving, Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, June 15–July 7
1969–1970
Alvin Loving: Paintings, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, December 19, 1969–January 25, 1970
1970
Alvin Loving: Recent Paintings, Gertrude Kasle Gallery, Detroit, September 12–October 7
1971
Alvin Loving, William Zierler, Inc., New York, March 6–27
1972
Alvin Loving, William Zierler, Inc., New York, March 11–April 1
1973
Alvin Loving, William Zierler, Inc., New York, March 3–31
1974
Alvin Loving, Fischbach Gallery, New York, April 6–24
1976
Alvin Loving, Fischbach Gallery, New York, May–June 12
1977
The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
1979
Grippi/Zivian Gallery, New York
1984–1985
Al Loving: Mercer Street Series, Onyx Gallery, New York, December 18, 1984–January 16, 1985
1986
Al Loving: Departures, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, February 23–June 8
1987
Al Loving, Frank H. McClung Museum, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, February 6–21
1988
James Little and Al Loving, June Kelly Gallery, New York, June 11–July 1
1989
Alvin Loving: Life and Continued Growth Series, Bronx Museum of the Arts, New York, April 20–May 29
1990
Al Loving: Redemption Songs, June Kelly Gallery, New York, May 12–June 9
1991
Al Loving: Maker of Art, National Academy of Sciences, Washington, D.C., April 10–June 15
Al Loving, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, May 3–31
1992
Al Loving: Material Abstraction, June Kelly Gallery, New York, November 5–December 1
1993
Al Loving: Rectangular Genesis, Sande Webster Gallery, Philadelphia, March 3–30
Al Loving, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, September 17–October 17
1996
Alvin Loving, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, September 21–November 2
1997
Al Loving in the Nineties: The Collaged Wallworks, Fine Arts Center Galleries, University of Rhode Island, Kingston, January 21–March 8
1998
Al Loving: Detwiller Visiting Artist, Art Gallery, Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, February 6–March 1
1998–1999
Al Loving: Color Constructs, Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York, September 27, 1998–January 24, 1999
1999
Al Loving: Elegant Ideas, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Birmingham, Michigan, April 30–June 4
2001
Alvin Loving: Home, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Detroit, September 13–October 20
2002
Al Loving: Bird of Birds, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Chicago, September 13–October 12
2004
Formal Continuity: Works by Al Loving, The University Museum, Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, February 9–March 1
Al Loving: Lighter Than Air, G.R. N’Namdi Gallery, Chicago, September 9–October 29
2005
Al Loving: Color Weave, Jeffrey Moose Gallery, Seattle, February 11–March 26
2005–2006
Al Loving: Affirmations of Life, Kenkeleba House, New York, December 6, 2005–January 11, 2006
2012
Al Loving: Torn Canvas, Garth Greenan Gallery, November 8–December 29
2015
Al Loving, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, May 21–June 27
2017–2018
Spiral Play: Loving in the '80s, Art+Practice, Los Angeles, April 22–July 29, 2017; The Baltimore Museum of Art, October 18, 2017–April 15, 2018
2018
Space, Time, Light, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, October 25–December 21
2022
Al Loving: Emperor's Clothing, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, March 24–May 7
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
1968
Afro-American Art, Detroit Institute of Arts
1969
Afro-American Art After 1950, Brooklyn College Art Gallery, City University of New York
5+1, Art Gallery, State University of New York, Stony Brook, October 16–November 8; Art Museum, Princeton University, New Jersey, November 12–23
1970
Lamp Black: African-American Artists, New York and Boston, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, May 19–June 23
L’art vivant aux États-Unis, Fondation Maeght, Saint-Paul, France, July 16–September 30
1971
Contemporary Black Artists in America, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, April 6–May 16
The Deluxe Show, Deluxe Theatre, Houston, August 15–September 12
1972
1972 Annual Exhibition: Contemporary American Painting, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 25–March 19
1973
1973 Biennial Exhibition: Contemporary American Art, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, January 10–March 18
1975
Image, Color, and Form: Recent Paintings by Eleven Americans, Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio, January 12–February 9
34th Biennial of Contemporary American Painting, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., February 22–April 6
Selected Works from the Dillard Collection: An Exhibition of Works on Paper from the Weatherspoon Art Gallery, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, Alabama, April 15–May 18
1977
’75, ’76, ’77: Painting, Part I, Sarah Lawrence College Art Gallery, Bronxville, New York, February 19–March 10; American Foundation for the Arts, Miami, April–May; Contemporary Arts Center, Cincinnati, June–July
1979
Another Generation, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
1981
Afro-American Abstraction, Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery, July 1–August 30
1982
Color, Material, Form: Bowling, Loving, Mohr, Currier Gallery of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire, January 9–February 14
1983
Seven American Artists, Cleveland Museum of Art, January 11–February 13
New Work, New York: Newcastle Salutes New York, Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom, October 8–November 4
1984–1985
Since the Harlem Renaissance: 50 Years of Afro-American Art, Center Gallery, Bucknell University, Lewisburg, Pennsylvania, April 13, 1984–November 1, 1985
1985
Recent Acquisitions, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
1987
New York, New Venue, Mint Museum of Art, Charlotte, North Carolina, April 10–May 31
1989
The Appropriate Object: Maren Hassinger, Richard Hunt, Oliver Jackson, Alvin Loving, Betye Saar, Raymond Saunders, John Scott, Albright-Knox Gallery, Buffalo, March 5–April 23
1990
Legacies: African-American Artists, New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, Summit, September 16–October 27
1991
The Search for Freedom: African-American Abstract Painting, 1945–1975, Kenkeleba Gallery, New York, May 19–July 14
2000
An Exuberant Bounty: Prints and Drawings by African Americans, Philadelphia Museum of Art, February 5–April 16
2002
Six American Masters, Sugar Hill Art Center, New York, May 17–June 27
No Greater Love: Abstraction, Jack Tilton/Anna Kustera Gallery, New York, September 12–October 12
2003
Layers of Meaning: Collage and Abstraction in the Late 20th Century, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, February 8–April 27
2004
Something to Look Forward to, Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College, Lancaster, Pennsylvania, March 26–June 27
2005
The Chemistry of Color: African-American Artists in Philadelphia, 1970–1990, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, January 11–April 10
2006
Energy/Experimentation: Black Artists and Abstraction, 1964–1980, The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, April 5–July 2
Full House: Views of the Whitney’s Collection at 75, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, June 29–September 3
2006–2007
High Times, Hard Times: New York Painting, 1967–1975, Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro, August 6–October 15, 2006; American University Museum at the Katzen Arts Center, American University, Washington, D.C., November 21, 2006–January 21, 2007; National Academy Museum, New York, February 13–April 22
2008–2009
New Acquisitions: African-American Masters Collection, Sheldon Art Museum, Lincoln, Nebraska, December 16, 2008–March 2, 2009
2009
Target Practice: Painting Under Attack, 1949–1978, Seattle Art Museum, June 25–September 7
2011
Paper Trails: Selected Works from the Collection,1934–2001, Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, July 19–November 27
2012
Full Spectrum: Prints from the Brandywine Workshop, Philadelphia Museum of Art, September 7–November 25
2014
Make It New: Abstract Painting from the National Gallery of Art, 1950–1975, Clark Art Institute, Williamstown, Massachusetts, August 2–October 13
2015
New Acquisitions, Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University, Waltham, Massachusetts, February 11–June 7
America Is Hard to See, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, May 1–September 27
2016
Marrakech Biennale 6, Morocco, February 24–May 8
2016–2017
Circa 1970, The Studio Museum in Harlem, November 17, 2016–March 5, 2017
2017
Expanding Tradition: Selections from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection, Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, Athens, January 28–May 7
‘Elaine, Let’s Get the Hell Out of Here,’ Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, June 29–August 18
Recollection: Selections from the Permanent Collection, Guild Hall, East Hampton, October 21–December 31
2017–2018
Delirious: Art at the Limits of Reason, 1950-1980, Metropolitan Museum of Art, September 13, 2017–January 21, 2018
2017–2020
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power, 1963–1983, Tate Modern, London, July 12–October 22, 2017; Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas, February 3–April 23, 2018; Brooklyn Museum of Art, September 14, 2018–February 3, 2019; The Broad Museum, Los Angeles, March 23–September 1, 2019; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, June 27–August 30, 2020
2018
Reclamation! Pan-African Works from the Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, Taubman Museum of Art, Roanoke, Virginia, March 3–September 2
mark, team (gallery inc.), New York, March 8–April 21
MoMA At NGV, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, June 9–October 7
The Beautiful Difference, Francine Kelly Gallery, Featherstone Center for the Arts, Oak Bluffs, Massachusetts, August 12–September 3
Detroit in the World: Selections from a Detroit Art Connoisseur’s Collection, Collected Detroit Gallery, December 6–
2018–2019
Pattern and Decoration and Crime, Musée d'Art Moderne et Contemporain, Genève, October 9, 2018–February 3, 2019; Consortium Museum, Dijon, France May 15–October 20, 2019
Outliers and American Vanguard Art, National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C., January 28–May 13, 2018; High Museum of Art, Atlanta, June 24–September 30, 2018; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, November 18, 2018–March 18, 2019
2018–2020
Abstraction, Color, and Politics in the Early 1970s, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, September 22, 2018–September 29, 2019
2019
Alteronce Gumby/Al Loving: Catching the Holy Ghost, Parrasch Heljnen Gallery, Los Angeles, February 12–March 23, 2019
New York Centric, Art Students League, New York, March 5–May 1, 2019
Spilling Over: Painting Color in the 1960s, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, March 29–September 2
Cut: Abstraction in the United States from the 1970s to the Present, Frost Art Museum, Florida International University, June 1–August 25
An Essential Presence: The Petrucci Family Foundation Collection of African-American Art, Allentown Art Museum, Pennsylvania, June 2–September 1
Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy, and Materiality, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, June 21–October 6, 2019
Painters Reply: Experimental Painting in the 1970s and Now, Lisson Gallery, New York, June 27–August 10
2019–2020
Black Refractions: Highlights from the Studio Museum in Harlem, Gibbes Museum of Art, Charleston, South Carolina, May 24–August 18, 2019; Kalamazoo Institute of Arts, Michigan, September 13–December 8, 2019; Utah Museum of Fine Arts, Salt Lake City, January 23–April 11, 2021; Frye Art Museum, Seattle, May 22–August 15, 2021
Detroit Collects: Selections of African American Art from Private Collections, Detroit Institute of Arts, November 12, 2019–March 1, 2020
With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972–1985, Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, October 27, 2019–March 30, 2020; CCS Bard Hessel Museum of Art, Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York, June 26–November 28, 2021
2020
My Way: The Gee’s Bend Quiltmakers and Contemporary Abstraction, Parts & Labor, Beacon, New York, June 27–August 9, 2020
Young Artists: One, Fridman Gallery, New York, July 7–September 9, 2020
2020–2022
Robert Blackburn & Modern American Printmaking, Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri, September 12–November 11, 2020; Detroit Institute of Arts, March 20–June 13, 2021; Figge Art Museum, Davenport, Iowa, October 16, 2021–January 9, 2022; The Hyde Collection, Glens Falls, New York, January 29–April 24, 2022; Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center at Colorado College, May 14–August 7, 2022
2021
Creating Community: Cinque Gallery Artists, the Art Students’ League of New York, May 3–July 4
The De Luxe Show, Karma, New York, New York, August 12–September 25; Parker Gallery, Los Angeles, California, August 12–September 15
Colliding with History: African American Works on Paper from the Collection of Wes and Missy Cochran, The Ernest G. Welch School of Art & Design Gallery, Georgia State University, Atlanta, September 13–November 12
Nanette Carter: 30 Years of Her Work: A Survey and Her Contemporaries Al Loving, Sam Gilliam, Gregory Coates, N’Namdi Center for Contemporary Art, Detroit, Michigan, October 15, 2021–January 15, 2022
2021–2022
Abstraction & Social Critique, Kavi Gupta, Chicago, Illinois, October 23, 2021–January 1, 2022
2022
Al Loving: Emperor’s Clothing, Garth Greenan Gallery, New York, New York, March 24–May 7, 2022
2022–2023
In the Balance, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York, October 19, 2022–March 5, 2023
Revisiting 5+1, Paul W. Zuccaire Gallery, Stony Brook, New York, November 10, 2022–March 31, 2023
2023
Creative Haven: Black Artists of Sag Harbor, Long Island Museum, Stony Brook, New York, February 17–August 27, 2023
The Feminine in Abstract Painting, Milton Resnick and Pat Passlof Foundation, New York, New York, March 16–July 15, 2023
Tales of Brave Ulysses: Al Loving, Howardena Pindell, Alan Shields, Richard Van Buren, Garth Greenan Gallery and Van Doren Waxter, New York, New York, November 9 – December 16, 2023
Papel Papel: Works on Paper, Zürcher Gallery, New York, New York, November 10–December 23, 2023
2023–2024
Glory of the World: Color Field Painting (1950s to 1983), NSU Art Museum, Fort Lauderdale, Florida, November 21, 2023–June 30, 2024
2023–2025
A Gathering, University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor, Michigan, June 24, 2023–November 2025
2024
Century: 100 Years of Black Art at MAM, Montclair Art Museum, Montclair, New Jersey, February 9–July 7, 2024
Printmaking And The Unconventional Pathways Of African American Artists, Mystic Museum of Art, Mystic, Connecticut, Jun 28–Oct 13, 2024
2024–2025
Edges of Ailey, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York, September 25, 2024–February 9, 2025
Electric Op, Buffalo AKG Art Museum, Buffalo, New York, September 27, 2024–January 27, 2025
SELECTED COLLECTIONS
Akron Art Museum, Ohio
Cleveland Museum of Art
Cornell Fine Arts Museum, Rollins College, Winter Park, Florida
Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Bentonville, Arkansas
Currier Museum of Art, Manchester, New Hampshire
Detroit Institute of Arts
Empire State Plaza Art Collection, Albany
Everson Museum of Art, Syracuse, New York
Guild Hall Museum, East Hampton, New York
Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York
Krannert Art Museum, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign
Metropolitan Museum of Art
Montclair Art Museum, New Jersey
Museum of African-American Art, Detroit
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston
Museum of Modern Art
National Gallery of Art
Newark Museum, New Jersey
New Jersey State Museum, Trenton
Norton Museum of Art, West Palm Beach, Florida
Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia
Pérez Art Museum, Miami
Philadelphia Museum of Art
Rose Art Museum, Brandeis University
Sheldon Museum of Art, Lincoln, Nebraska
St. Louis Art Museum
The Studio Museum in Harlem, New York
Toledo Museum of Art, Ohio
Tucson Museum of Art
University of Michigan Museum of Art, Ann Arbor
Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, Richmond
Walker Art Center, Minneapolis
Weatherspoon Art Museum, University of North Carolina, Greensboro
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York
BOOKS AND CATALOGUES
Albright-Knox Art Gallery. The Appropriate Object: Maren Hassinger, Richard Hunt, Oliver Jackson, Alvin Loving, Betye Saar, Raymond Saunders, John Scott. Buffalo: Albright-Knox Art Gallery, 1989.
Anderson, Dennis and Glenn Lowry. The Governor Nelson A. Rockefeller Empire State Plaza Art Collection and Plaza Memorials. New York: Rizzoli, 2002.
Art Students League of New York. Creating Community: Cinque Gallery Artists. New York: Art Students League of New York, 2021.
Auther, Elissa. String, Felt, Thread: The Hierarchy of Art and Craft in American Art. Minneapolis: University of Minnesota Press, 2010.
Berber, Rehema, Hannah Klemm, Gretchen Wagner, et al. The Thelma and Bert Ollie Memorial Art Collection. St. Louis: St. Louis Art Museum, 2019.
Bowling, Frank. 5+1. Stony Brook, NY: Art Gallery, State University of New York, Stony Brook, 1969.
Center Gallery, Bucknell University. Since the Harlem Renaissance: 50 Years of Afro-American Art. Lewisburg, PA: Center Gallery, Bucknell University, 1985.
Choi, Connie. Black Refractions: Highlights from The Studio Museum in Harlem. New York: American Federation of Arts, 2019.
Cleveland Museum of Art. Seven American Artists. Cleveland: Cleveland Museum of Art, 1983.
Cochran, Rebecca Dimling. Colliding with History: African American Works on Paper from the Collection of Wes and Missy Cochran. Exhibition catalogue. Atlanta: Georgia State University, 2021.
Collischan, Judy and April Kingsley. Al Loving: Color Constructs. Purchase, NY: Neuberger Museum of Art, Purchase College, State University of New York, 1998.
Cooke, Lynne. Outliers and American Vanguard Art. Washington, D.C.: National Gallery of Art, 2018.
Cooper, Harry. Make It New: Abstract Painting from the National Gallery of Art, 1950–1975. Williamstown, Massachusetts: Clark Art Institute, 2014.
Corcoran Gallery of Art. 34th Biennial of Contemporary American Painting. Washington, D.C.: Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1975.
Cranbrook Art Museum. Landlord Colors: On Art, Economy, and Materiality. Bloomfield Hills, Michigan: Cranbrook Art Museum, 2019.
Darling, Michael. Target Practice: Painting Under Attack, 1949–1978. Seattle: Seattle Art Museum, 2009.
Detroit Institute of Arts. Detroit Collects: Selections of African American Art from Private Collections. Detroit: Detroit Institute of Arts, 2019.
Doty, Robert M. Contemporary Black Artists in America. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1971.
English, Darby. 1971: A Year in the Life of Color. Chicago: University of Chicago, 2017.
English, Darby and Charlotte Barat. Among Others: Blackness at MoMA. New York: Museum of Modern Art, 2019.
Fine, Elsa Honig, The Afro-American Artist: A Search for Identity. New York: Hacker Art Books, 1982.
Fondation Maeght. L’art vivant aux États-Unis. Paris: Fondation Maeght, 1970.
Gale Research Inc. Who’s Who Among Black Americans. Northbrook: Who’s Who Among Black Americans, Inc, 1978.
Georgia Museum of Art. Expanding Tradition: Selections from the Larry D. and Brenda A. Thompson Collection. Athens: Georgia Museum of Art, University of Georgia, 2017.
Godfrey, Mark and Zoe Whitley. Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power. London: Tate Publishing, 2017.
Goodman, Abigail Ross, Molly Epstein, and Laura Beshears. Art for Rollins: The Alfond Collection of Contemporary Art, Volume III. Winterpark, Florida: Cornell Fine Arts Museum, 2018.
Holton, Curlee Raven and Robert S. Mattison. Al Loving: Detwiller Visiting Artist. Easton, PA: Art Gallery, Williams Center for the Arts, Lafayette College, 1998.
Jones, Kellie. Energy/Experimentation: Black Artists and Abstraction, 1964–1980. New York: The Studio Museum in Harlem, 2006.
Katz, Anna, ed. With Pleasure: Pattern and Decoration in American Art, 1972–1985. Los Angeles: Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles, 2019.
Kenkeleba Gallery. The Search for Freedom: African-American Abstract Painting, 1945–1975. New York: Kenkeleba Gallery, 1991.
Kingsley, April. Afro-American Absraction. San Francisco: Art Museum Association, 1982.
Little, James. New York Centric. New York: Art Students League of New York, 2019.
Menil Foundation. The Deluxe Show. Houston: Menil Foundation, 1971.
Mint Museum of Art. New York, New Venue. Charlotte, NC: Mint Museum of Art, 1987.
Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. Selected Works from the Dillard Collection: An Exhibition of Works on Paper from the Weatherspoon Art Gallery, University of North Carolina, Greensboro. Montgomery, AL: Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts, 1975.
Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Lamp Black: African-American Artists, New York and Boston. Boston: School of the Museum of Fine Arts, 1970.
National Gallery of Victoria and Museum of Modern Art. MoMA at NGV. Melbourne: National Gallery of Victoria, 2018.
New Jersey Center for Visual Arts. Legacies: African-American Artists. Summit, NJ: New Jersey Center for Visual Arts, 1990.
Patton, Sharon F. African-American Art. New York: Oxford University Press, 1998.
Philadelphia Museum of Art. Represent: 200 Years of African American Art in the Philadelphia Museum. Philadelphia: Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2014.
Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College. Something to Look Forward to. Lancaster, PA: Phillips Museum of Art, Franklin & Marshall College, 2004.
Powell, Richard J. Black Art and Culture in the 20th Century. New York: Thames & Hudson, 1997.
———. Black Art: A Cultural History. London: Thames & Hudson, 2021.
Sajet, Kim. The Chemistry of Color: African-American Artists in Philadelphia, 1970–1990. Philadelphia: Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts, 2005.
Sandler, Irving. The Empire State Collection: Art for the Public. Albany, NY: Empire State Plaza Art Commission, 1987.
Sarah Lawrence College Art Gallery. ’75, ’76, ’77: Painting, Part I. Bronxville, NY: Sarah Lawrence College Art Gallery, 1977.
Siegel, Katy. High Times, Hard Times: New York Painting, 1967–1975. New York: Independent Curators International, 2006.
Stomberg, John ed. El Anatsui: New Words. South Hadley, MA: Mount Holyoke College Art Museum, 2015.
The Studio Museum in Harlem. A Constellation. New York: The Studio Museum in Harlem, 2015.
———. Al Loving: Departures. New York: The Studio Museum in Harlem, 1986.
Sugar Hill Art Center. Six American Masters. New York: Sugar Hill Art Center, 2002.
Taha, Halima. Collecting African-American Art: Works on Paper and Canvas. New York: Crown, 1998.
Toledo Museum of Art. Image, Color, and Form: Recent Paintings by Eleven Americans. New York: Toledo Museum of Art, 1975.
Wilkin, Karen. New York Centric. New York: Art Students League, 2019.
Whitney Museum of American Art. 1972 Annual Exhibition: Contemporary American Painting. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1972.
Whitney Museum of American Art. Edges of Ailey. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2024.
———. 1973 Biennial Exhibition: Contemporary American Art. New York: Whitney Museum of American Art, 1973.
Wood, Mara-Helen and Ellen Price. New Work, New York: Newcastle Salutes New York. Newcastle-upon-Tyne, United Kingdom: Newcastle Polytechnic Gallery, 1983.
Wright, Mark. Teaching Painting: Painting the New. Cambridge: Cambridge Scholars Publishing, 2019.
PERIODICALS
Adamson, Glenn. “Pattern Recognition.” Art in America 107, no. 8 (2019): 40–47.
Alloway, Lawrence. “Institution: Whitney Annual.” Artforum 11, no. 7 (1973): 32–39.
“Artist Studios Set at Midtown Hotel.” New York Times, July 11, 1973.
Ashton, Dore. “New York Commentary.” Studio International 179, no. 921 (1970): 186–187.
Baker, Kenneth. “Reviews: Alvin Loving.” Artforum 10, no. 10 (1972): 86.
Bishop, Robert. “From the Horse’s Mouth.” Art Gallery 15, no. 1 (1971): 55–61.
———.“Motown Merry-Go-Round.” Art Gallery 15, no. 2 (1971): 57.
Bloom, Janet. “In the Museums: 5+1.” Arts Magazine 44, no. 3 (1969/1970): 56.
Bowling, Frank. “It’s Not Enough to Say ‘Black is Beautiful.’” Art News 70, no. 2 (1971): 53–55, 82–85.
Brenson, Michael. “Bright Collage-Paintings Animated by the Sprial.” New York Times, May 25, 1990.
———.“Black Artists: A Place in the Sun.” New York Times, March 12, 1989.
Brown, Gordon. “Alvin Loving.” Arts Magazine 45, no. 5 (1971): 66–67.
Bryan-Wilson, Julia. “Reviews: 'Outliers and American Vanguard Art’ at National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.” Artforum 56, no. 9 (2017): 226–27.
Canaday, John. “Art: Okada’s Work Is Pleasure to See.” New York Times, March 24, 1973.
Cantú, John Carlos. “Abstraction, Color, and Politics in the Early 1970s.” Ann Arbor Observer (January 2019).
Carter, Malcolm N. “What Would a Museum Director Buy for his Own Collection?” Art News 72, no. 9 (1973): 34–37.
Colby, Joy. “Big Al is Back.” The Detroit News, October 1, 1993.
Cook, Joan. “Going On in the Northeast.” New York Times, February 1, 1987.
Cotter, Holland. “Six American Masters.” New York Times, June 14, 2002.
Crimp, Douglas. “Reviews and Previews: Al Loving.” Art News 72, no. 4 (1973): 83.
Delatiner, Barbara. “Working in the ‘Roots’ Field.” New York Times, March 13, 1977.
Edens, Stephanie T. “Issues and Commentary: Alternative Spaces - Soho Style.” Art in America 61, no. 6 (1973): 38–39.
Fensom, Sarah E. “Setting a New Pattern.” Art and Antiques (November 2019): 56–60.
Glueck, Grace. “’Working Process’ at Columbus Circle.” New York Times, April 17, 1981.
Goldberg, Lenore. “Al Loving.” Arts Magazine 47, no. 7 (1973): 61.
Goodbody, Bridget. “Reviews: New York: Al Loving.” Art News 104, no. 2 (2005): 134.
Greene Jr., Carroll. “The Afro-American Artist.” Art Gallery 11, no. 7 (1968): 12–25.
Hakanson, Joy. "City's Wall of Beauty - A Beaut of a Task." Detroit News, August 6, 1971.
———. "His Paintings Have a Beat." Detroit News, September 20, 1970.
———. "Painter Loving in Solid Solo." Detroit News, June 15, 1969.
———. "The Artist and His Arty Wall." Detroit News, September 10, 1971.
Harrison, Helen A. “The Eastville Story.” New York Times, February 25, 1979.
Heartney, Eleanor. “Review of Exhibitions: Al Loving at June Kelly.” Art in America 81, no. 6 (1993): 104–105.
Heinemann, Susan. “Reviews: Alvin Loving.” Artforum 13, no. 1 (1974): 83.
Henry, Gerrit. “Review of Exhibitions: Al Loving at Onyx.” Art in America 73, no. 4 (1985): 202–203.
“In Perspective.” Art and Antiques (November 2018): 22–23.
Kangas, Matthew. “Color-Burst Collages from Loving Hands.” Seattle Times, February 19, 2005.
Kingsley, April. “New York Letter.” Art International 17, no. 1 (1973): 65.
———.“New York.” Art International 17, no. 6 (1973): 65–66.
———. ”Reviews and Previews: Alvin Loving.” Art News 71, no. 2 (1972): 55.
Kramer, Hilton. “Art: 8 Graphic ‘20th Century Pioneers.’” New York Times, March 13, 1971.
———. “Art: ‘Blacks: USA: 1973’ is Eclectic.” New York Times, September 29, 1973.
———. “Black Artists’ Show on View in Boston.” New York Times, May 22, 1970.
Kron, Cat. “Elaine, Let’s Get the Hell Out of Here at Nicelle Beauchene Gallery, New York.” ArtReview 69, no. 7 (2017): 129.
Lin, Jeremy Atherton. “Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power at the Tate Modern, London.” ArtReview 69, no. 7 (2017): 122–23.
Loercher, Diana. “Saluting the Black Man in American Art - Past and Present: ‘Blacks: USA: 1973’ in N.Y.” The Christian Science Monitor, October 13, 1973.
McEvilley, Thomas. “Review of Exhibitions: Alvin Loving at Kenkeleba House.” Art in America 94, no. 6 (2006): 194.
Morrison, Keith. “The Emerging Importance of Black Art in America.” New Art Examiner 7, no. 9 (1980): 1, 4–5.
Myers, Terry R. “New York in Review: Al Loving.” Arts 63, no. 1 (1990): 94.
Provenzano, Frank. "Loving's Joyful Collages Serve to Feed the Spirit." Detroit Free Press, October 20, 1996.
Reichardt, Jasia. “Public Art Museum Notes.” Art Journal 29, no. 4 (1970): 464.
Robinson, Walter. “Review of Exhibitions: Alvin Loving at William Zierler.” Art in America 61, no. 5 (1973): 109–110.
Rubinstein, Raphael. “Annals of Painting: It’s Not Made by Great Men.” Art in America 95, no. 8 (2007): 61–67.
Rule, Sheila. “Museum as Cultural Anchor: The Studio at 25.” New York Times, November 23, 1993.
Scheldahl, Peter. “Coming Back from Early Success.” New York Times, April 21, 1974.
Schwartz, Barbara. “Reviews and Previews: Alvin Loving.” Art News 70, no. 1 (1971): 59.
Schwendener, Martha. “At the Studio Museum in Harlem, 4 Shows Engage a Cultural Conversation.” New York Times, January 7, 2016.
———. “New York Galleries: What to See Right Now: 'Painters Reply.’ New York Times, July 31, 2019.
Sheets, Hilarie M. “Black Abstraction: Not a Contradiction.” Art News 113, no. 6 (2014): 62–70.
———. “Nights at the Museum: Good for Cultivating an Art Habit and Romance.” New York Times, December 11, 2018.
Siegel, Jeanne. “The Whitney Biennial: ‘A Firmer Position on Current Esthetic Trends.” Art News 72, no. 3 (1973): 68–69.
Sims, Lowery S. “Black Americans in the Visual Arts: A Survey of Bibliographic Material and Research Resources.” Artforum 11, no. 8 (1973): 66–70.
Smith, Alvin. “New York Letter.” Art International 16, no. 5 (1972): 56–57.
Smith, Roberta. “Alvin Loving.” Artforum 13. no. 9 (1975): 72.
———. “Alvin Loving.” Arts Magazine 47, no. 6 (1973): 78.
“Spiral Play: Loving in the ‘80s.” Baltimore Museum of Art Today (Fall 2017): 8–9.
Stryker, Mark. "N.Y. Artist to be on Hand for Colfax Opening." South Bend Tribune, January 14, 1990.
Tapley, Mel. “About the Arts.” New York Amsterdam News, June 26, 1976.
———.“About the Arts.” New York Amsterdam News, October 6, 1973.
Taubman, Bryna. "A World in a Cube." New York Post, January 15, 1970
Welzenbach, Michael. “’Medicine’ That Goes Down Easy.” Washignton Post, May 11, 1991.
Wooster, Ann-Sargent. “New York Reviews: Alvin Loving.” Art News 75, no. 8: 124–125.
Yolles, Sandra. “Reviews: New York: Al Loving.” Art News 89, no. 9 (1990): 164–165.
Zara, Janelle. “Treasure Trove: Collector Beth Rudin DeWoody Creates a Private Lair for Her Signature High-Impact Art.” Galerie, no. 8 (2018): 114–117.
Zimmer, William. “A Show that Ends Where It Begins.” New York Times, December 6, 1998.
