BARKLEY L. HENDRICKS: Piles of Inspiration Everywhere
The legendary artist Barkley L. Hendricks (1945–2017) revolutionized portraiture withhis realist and post-modern oil paintings of Black Americans living in urban areas,beginning in the 1960s and 1970s. The release of Barkley L. Hendricks: Piles ofInspiration Everywhere (Hirmer; September 19, 2025; $55) explores the space inwhich Hendricks worked and lived for 35 years.
Hendricks’ depictions of the Black figure exude attitude and style. The artist culled subjects for his portraits from sartorially minded friends and acquaintances he encountered around the world. Steeped in pop culture and balanced with exquisite detail, the cast of characters in Hendricks’ work inhabits an unconventional realism united by painterly mastery. He was first a photographer before taking up painting, and he consistently refused to tether himself to just one form of artistic expression.
A collaboration between his wife, Susan Hendricks and photographer David Katzenstein, Barkley L. Hendricks: Piles of Inspiration Everywhere, for the first time gives readers access to the artist’s studio, and the opportunity to experience the environment that he inhabited. The book provides a unique perspective into Hendricks’ creative process, highlighting the spaces that energized and inspired him.
Piles of Inspiration Everywhere is now available to purchase worldwide. Following are some images from the book.
A sneak peek of the book is available here
Hirmer Verlag
Press contact: Kate Greenberg, Arply, kate@arply.co