A stunning survey of work by Glenn Ligon, an artist known for explorations of cultural literacy and Blackness.

Throughout his practice, artist Glenn Ligon has explored the power of language to visualize and materialize the Black experience in America. Accompanying a major touring exhibition, Glenn Ligon: Subtext highlights the artist’s consistent attention to literary and artistic production. 

Ligon’s works cite a variety of texts, from a historical civil rights protest sign and dream books to writings by James Baldwin, Toni Morrison, and other literary giants. His citations invite viewers to consider the subtexts underlying complex discourses around representation and cultural literacy. This volume traces how Ligon layers his sources into a wide range of media, including monumental paintings, prints and drawings, and neon sculptures. The book also examines Ligon’s own curatorial practice, itself another way he cites artistic influences.

Alongside the presentation of new works, this book considers Ligon’s multidisciplinary practice through contributions from acclaimed scholars and artists, including Molly Donovan, Jennie C. Jones, Julie Mehretu, and Ligon himself. With stunning gatefolds and illustrations spanning nearly forty years of Ligon’s career, this book offers an expansive view of a leading American artistic voice, underscoring Ligon’s recurring focus on language and texts, and specifically on the crucial role played by Black and queer voices.