The One – Two Punch: Robert Colescott x TAM
August 26, 2025, marks the centennial birthday of Robert H. Colescott—one of the most influential and poetic artists of our time. Colescott was an iconoclast. Born in 1925 in Oakland, California, Colescott was known for his keen ability to expose the absurdities of the American landscape in his humorous, figurative compositions and masterful lampoons of canonical art history. Through the use of a vivid technicolor palette, his brushstrokes expressed a subversive strategy.
As we celebrate Robert Colescott’s centennial birthday this year, TAM also celebrates the opening of the permanent space for The Current, An Artist Award. The Current’s permanent gallery advances as a dynamic space for imagination, inquiry, and creativity. The exhibitions presented during this period will be informed by an exploration of artists’ aesthetics, stylistic vocabularies, foundational art making practices, and intellectual musings. These inquiries will shape the thematic contours of the curatorial approach, while enriching visitors’ understanding of the illustrative nature of Black artistic production in the Pacific Northwest, particularly as they relate to The Current, An Artist Award.
With the convergence of these two milestones, we are excited to share The Current, An Artist Award will present, The One-Two Punch: 100 Years of Robert Colescott, opening December 6th.
The Current x Colescott
As a Black arts curator, I am honored to have the opportunity to enter the conversation about Robert Colescott’s artistry and legacy in curating this upcoming exhibition that marks the first presentation in The Current’s permanent home. Despite Colescott’s critical acclaim and revered status, there remains a scarcity of writing, exhibitions, and presentations dedicated to his work, especially when compared to some of his contemporaries. Some say he misbehaved, but I believe we are all better off because of it. Admittedly, Robert Colescott is one of my favorite artists.
Colescott’s artistry and legacy embodies the spirit of The Current, An Artist Award. When envisioning the aesthetic of The Current’s permanent gallery, Colescott immediately came to mind, particularly his signature style, the one-two punch. This style and strategy describe how the vibrancy of his paintings and compositions pulls you in from afar, implores you to be more curious of the work, and evokes an “Oh wow.” And once you are closely looking at it, you’re caught up in this visceral subject matter that makes you say “Ohh, shit”. Colescott’s anti-elitism and refusal to conform to canonical ideals for painting and perspectives is the same spirit at the heart of The Current.
Colescott created a fresh perspective on liberation in visual arts culture for Black artists. A necessary perspective that consisted of misbehaving and rejecting strictures of art and limitations by “calling forward the negative” for viewers to confront their own prejudices and thoughts about humanity. Some refer to him as “the art historian with the paintbrush” because of his clear reverence and dedication to understanding art history. His deep commitment to his studio practice and desire to constantly reinvent himself through his work ultimately proved that art was a soul-searching endeavor for him.
Quite luckily, we were able to connect with Cooper Colescott, youngest son of Robert Colescott, during a patron trip to Tuscon, Arizona. It turns out that as he was thinking of plans to celebrate the centennial of his father‘s birth, I was formulating plans to curate an exhibition that honored his father’s legacy and impact for the permanent space. How serendipitous that we have been able to connect in this way!
TAM is proud to be the home of three of Robert Colescott’s works- Untitled (Figure Study), Eastern Barrier # 25 and The Virgin Queen. Thanks to the support of Cooper and the Robert H. Colescott Trust, The One-Two Punch: 100 Years of Robert Colescott, will include more of Colescott’s work, even including a few works from Cooper’s personal collection. It is so perfect that we get to celebrate the 100th birthday of Robert Colescott and the opening of the permanent space in such an impactful way.
Happy Birthday, Robert H. Colescott!
