World-renowned artist Radcliffe Bailey has died in his adopted hometown of Atlanta. He was 54.
His death on Nov. 15 was confirmed by his brother, Roy, who told the media that Bailey lost his battle with brain cancer.
Bailey’s “sculptural assemblages and paintings elegantly summoned the past, present, and future of Black Americans through ready-made objects and images,” reported ARTnews.
Bailey’s mesmerizing works are part of the permanent collections in the most prestigious institutions in the country, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City, the National Gallery and Smithsonian Museum in Washington D.C., the Art Institute of Chicago, and the High Museum in Atlanta.
One of Bailey’s most public works, “Saints,” is seen by passengers at Terminal E at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport in the city where Bailey made his home.
Prominent voices have come forward to attest to Bailey’s transcendent greatness and how his works will live in perpetuity.
“Bailey shaped Atlanta’s cultural landscape through his own unique, creative genius. While often bringing the intersectionality of ancestry, race, and art to the forefront of a discussion, his talent was both personal and accessible to our community,” said Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens.
“I had the privilege of visiting with him Friday to express Atlanta’s gratitude for all his contributions to our city,” Dickens added in a statement obtained by ARTnews. “Our administration has been working with his family and team on a fitting way to honor his incredible life and legacy, and we look forward to sharing those details in the near future. My thoughts are with his family and all who knew and loved him.”
https://twitter.com/CityofAtlanta/status/1724909856346304624?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1724909856346304624%7Ctwgr%5E387b20c2433b9d4b71e574e551c59bd5afd9da4a%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gpb.org%2Fnews%2F2023%2F11%2F15%2Fradcliffe-bailey-artist-whose-work-voiced-dignity-joy-and-pain-of-ancestors-dies-at
Speech of the iconic rap group Arrested Development also paid homage to Bailey’s seminal contributions that “spoke about Black spirit [and] soul.”
RIP to Radcliffe Bailey – he's the amazing brother you see painting within #ArrestedDevelopment's #Tennessee & #MrWendal music videos! He's ATL's Romare Bearden or Jean-Michel Basquiat! Mixing various mediums to make art that spoke about Black Spirit Soul. You will be missed!! pic.twitter.com/wBDdypgfo4
— SPEECH (@Speech__) November 15, 2023
Bailey’s backstory is as fascinating as the contemporary works he routinely marveled art aficionados with. His family were contributors to the legendary Underground Railroad that was used by Harriet Tubman and others to whisk slaves to the North where they became free citizens. Born in Bridgetown, New Jersey, in 1968, Bailey’s father was a railroad engineer before they moved to Atlanta, where Bailey’s legend was born.
Bailey was a gifted baseball player, but after rising to the level of semi-pro, Bailey decided that his raison d’etre was in the world of arts. According to Rough Draft Atlanta, Bailey’s “Windward Coast” was presented as part of the First International Biennial of Contemporary Art of Cartagena de Indias in Colombia. He’s also received the the Joan Foundation Grant in 2008 and the Elizabeth and Mallory Factory Prize for Southern Art in 2010.
Bailey is survived by his wife Leslie Parks Bailey, his daughter Olivia, his son Coles, and his parents Radcliffe Sr. and Brenda.
