Commentary by Nell Painter

Click on the image of Bust of a Man to hear commentary by Nell Painter.

Nell Painter lives two lives. In her first life as the historian Nell Irvin Painter—author of The History of White People and Sojourner Truth, A Life, A Symbol, among her seven authored books, and the recipient of many fellowships (e.g., Guggenheim, Fulbright), honorary degrees (e.g., Yale, Dartmouth), and awards (e.g., Centennial Medal, Harvard)—she is Edwards Professor of History, Emerita, at Princeton University. In her second life she is simply Nell Painter, a painter who lives and works in Newark, New Jersey, with work in the Emerge 11 Show at Aljira Gallery in Newark. She works digitally and manually, with subject matter both visible and obscured, depending on the work and her inclination toward meaning.