This is the first ever retrospective publication on Trinidadian Canadian painter Denyse Thomasos (1964–2012). Thomasos’ often monumental canvases with overlapping gridded lines, fluid drips of paint and geometric architectural objects challenge the limits of minimalism and abstraction, while also embodying her dedication to social justice. Through pattern, scale and repetition, Thomasos conveyed the vastness of events such as the Transatlantic slave trade and mass incarceration, without exploiting the images of those affected by them. Thomasos writes: “like a carpenter, I rebuild the fragmented psychology of slave culture, revealing its fragile foundation.”
A series of essays addresses Thomasos’ dissection of art historical traditions; her interest in global architectures and physical structures of power and resistance; her focus on the history of slavery; and her commitment to exposing narratives of systemic racism.
Edited By Renee van der Avoid, Sally Frater, and Michelle Jacques
180 pages
10.5 x 10.5 inches
ISBN 9781636810812
Hardcover
Published by DelMonico Books/Art Gallery of Ontario/REMAI MODERN
2022