Bearden grew up in North Carolina, and his memories of his neighborhood and countryside, quilting bees, cotton picking, picnics, and revival meetings are well-known subjects of his collage art. His life in Harlem is reflected in additional themes of jazz, blues, and city life. This big, beautiful volume doesn’t so much detail Bearden’s development as an artist as demonstrate how his most famous collages and photomontages, from the 1960s to the ’80s, came to be. Big reproductions, some full-page, illustrate his life and are an excellent introduction to his work, the best available for young readers. A final section, titled “Studio Visit with Romie,” describes the artist’s method and could lead young readers to experimentation with collage art. A list of places to see Bearden’s artwork is included. The volume is a companion to an upcoming retrospective at the National Gallery of Art that will travel to several other cities through 2005. (author’s note, chronology, bibliography, glossary) (Nonfiction. 4-8)
