Sam Middleton

Sam Middleton (April 2, 1927 – July 19, 2015) was an American mixed-media artist from New York City. He travelled all over the world with the US Merchant Marine, lived in Mexico and Sweden and eventually settled down in the Netherlands, where he "was part of the considerable contingency of expatriate African American artists". His work is part of the Whitney Museum permanent collection, which included him in its 1962 exhibition 40 Artists Under 40 and was included in the 2015 inaugural exhibition for the museum's new building on the High Line.

Middleton was born in New York City and grew up in the Harlem neighborhood of the city. Known for his personal style, Middleton liked to use abstract expressionism in his work, basing his color, lines, and compositions around sound and harmony. Middleton specialized in working with collage.

Early life As a young boy growing up in Harlem, Middleton often visited the nearby Savoy Ballroom and music – jazz and classical – became important inspirations for his artistic endeavors. Working at the Savoy, he designed costumes, and painted record and book covers. While abroad, he visited art galleries and museums for inspiration.

Career Middleton struggled as an artist in the United States, due to his race and status, but he continued to refine his technique, studying with other Black creatives such as Beauford Delaney. and studied in Mexico for several years. In 1959, after significantly advancing his technical skills and having the opportunity to showcase his art, Middleton travelled to Europe to paint, living in Spain, Sweden, France and Denmark, before settling in the Netherlands in 1961. Thereafter, Middleton returned to Harlem periodically, but never again held residence in America, despite calls from fellow African Americans to return. Middleton found greater creative freedom in Holland, while holding on to his jazz influences.

Emigration Middleton moved to the Netherlands as part of a wave of African-American artists, along with Deborah Simon, Sherard Van Dyke and Lorina Harris. Out Chorus, 1960, part of the Whitney Museum collection Cymbals, 1962 Hymn to Democracy, 1962 Social Realism, 1964 Everyone's Music Book, 1975 Summer Wind, 1976 Black Music, 1993 Solo, 1993 Table Top Still Life, 1996 Monk Lost in Music, 2001