Reginald Sylvester II – With The End In Mind

With the End in Mind is a hybrid catalogue/artist’s book published in conjunction with the namesake solo exhibition by Reginald Sylvester II presented at Maximillian William, London during the summer of 2021. The artworks which form With the End in Mind demonstrate the artist’s interest in abstraction as a tool of resistance and a form which can represent Black resilience. They also mark a shift from flat abstract painting to more tactile works which incorporate three dimensional elements. The book invites the reader into Sylvester’s creative process. The works are nestled within a cyclical flow of the artist’s mantras, which give insight into the spiritual and conceptual underpinning of the resulting artworks. Also featuring a text by Allie Biswas contextualising the artist’s use of Readymades within a history of Black American artists transforming manufactured objects into art with a political consciousness.