Porter, Henry, (Odalisque)

"Odalisque" by Henry Porter 26 x 40 inches serigraph on paper, artist proof--unframed Henry C Porter’s (1921 - 2009) second career as a fine artist began in the late sixties after a successful first career as a commercial artist in New York City that lasted twenty years. A native of High Point, North Carolina, he attended Morgan State University on a football scholarship and later studied Painting at the Academy of Arts in Newark, N.J. and Graphic Design at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. The artist moves with equal facility between figurative and abstract modes of expression. His figurative work presents his vision of Black history, faith and Black achievement, while his abstract creations give free reign to his imagination and his love of color and design. Over the course of a distinguished career Porter has had a number of gallery, institution and museum shows. They include the Brooklyn Museum, New York; Harriet Tubman Museum, Macon, GA; Kennesaw State University, Kennesaw, GA; and the Georgia State Building. He has won over two hundred awards in competitive exhibitions and executed a variety of commissions.  Among his notable commissions are an eight foot by thirty two foot abstract piece for the Knoxville World’s Fair and an eight foot mural for City Beverage Company of Atlanta. The artist and his work have appeared in publications like Black Enterprise and US Art. His work can be found in public and private collections which include Mobil Oil, Sears Roebuck, H.J. Reynolds, Bill Cosby, Melvin Van Peebles, the model Iman and the late Sammy Davis, Jr.