Dakar I is named for the capital of Senegal, where Gilliam exhibited in one of his first international presentations at the First World Festival of Negro Arts in 1966. This work is a powerful example of the iconic drape paintings the artist began making just two years later, in 1968.

Foregoing stretchers and frames, Dakar I is suspended from the wall in such a way that it engages the viewer directly. Improvisation is integral to the production and display of Gilliam’s painted constructions, adding a sense of theatricality and spontaneity while allowing the works to avoid rigid categorization as a traditional painting or sculpture.