Beverly Buchanan at the Raw Edge of Art
Instead of leaving the South behind, the polymath artist carried it into her writings, zines, paintings, and “shack sculptures” that echo the architecture of her childhood.
Beverly Buchanan, a contemporary of Ana Mendieta and Eva Hesse, was mentored by Norman Lewis and Romare Bearden, but her artistic contributions have often been overlooked. The upcoming monograph Beverly Buchanan: Ruination and Regeneration (2026) aims to rectify this with a collection of insights from 18 contributors, including friends, dealers, historians, curators, and contemporaries.
Edited by Aurélie Bernard Wortsman, the book is a tribute to Buchanan's multifaceted talent across sculpture, photography, land art, and video work. It delves into her journey from North Carolina, highlighting her impact in Atlanta, Macon, and Athens, Georgia, before her move to Michigan. The book features a range of works, from early paintings and sketches to environmental installations and sculptures.
It also includes an essay by Alice Walker and an image of Buchanan from her 1978 exhibition at Truman Gallery.
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