Saxophone Colossus by Melvin W. Clark sold for $5,000 at Swann Auction Galleries African American Art sale on March 31, 2022 in New York City. A contemporary painter and printmaker, Clark is known for his impressive woodcut art. In 1986, he received a fellowship to study at Robert Blackburn’s prestigious “Printmaking Workshop” in New York City, where he fell in love with the Avant-Garde art and Jazz scenes.
Jazz and other musical themes went on to feature prominently in Clark’s works—his goal was to be able to convey the energy of a live performance. The saxophone on this month’s cover is inspired by the famous American saxophonist Sonny Rollins and is named after his 1956 album. During the 1990s, Clark was commissioned to create posters for Jazz and Blues festivals.
Today, Clark’s work can be found in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, Printmaking Workshop and the Lower East Side Printshop, all in New York City, as well as the Modern African Arts Gallery in Amsterdam, the Detroit Board of Education and the Pehl Collection in Eldersburg, Md.