Muralist and abstract painter James Brooks has public works in Dallas, New York, Nebraska, Washington, DC, and other cities across the United States. He attended Southern Methodist University and the Dallas Art Institute before settling in New York in 1927. There he continued his education by attending night classes at the Art Students League. About ten years after moving to New York, Brooks joined the Federal Art Project where he painted one of his many public works: the 235-foot mural “Flight” at LaGuardia Airport. Apart from murals, Brooks’ abstract oil pieces brought a new look to paintings. Fascinated with the idea of staining, he would dilute oil paint with glue, enamel, and other household products to stain the raw canvas. These works were often enhanced through calligraphy and abstract shapes. He sometimes referred to his style of painting as painterly accidents. These accidents allowed him to display deep human emotions visually for all to see. Brooks was one of the first artists to use this staining technique, which helped solidify his title as a first generation abstract expressionist. Brooks taught painting at Columbia University and at Yale University.

This portfolio of prints demonstrates the depth and breadth of art making in 1976 America. Commissioned for the 1976 celebration of the American Bicentennial, it includes works by James Rosenquist, Robert Rauschenberg, Roy Lichtenstein, Allan D’Arcangelo, William Bailey, Edward Ruscha, Christo, Costantino Nivola, Velox Ward, Raymond Saunders, Robert Andrew Parker, and Ben Schonzeit.