Darrel Ellis is not only the first book devoted to his work since 1996, it is also an indispensable collection of scholarship, history, interviews, and stunning reproductions of the artists oeuvre. The impressive essays by Derek Conrad Murray and Tiana Reid, a description of the artists archive by Steven G. Fullwood, an eye-opening interview with the artist from 1991, and a thought-provoking conversation between contemporary artists will lift the shroud of mystery that has surrounded Elliss life and art. -- Peter Murphy * ASAP/J * Rather than showcasing his best-known works, such as his self-portrait made after a photograph by Mapplethorpe, it instead leans into process, including unfinished works, pages of journals, and a section that considers how to treat the archive he left behind after his 1992 death at age 33 from AIDS complications. -- Megan Liberty * Hyperallergic * Darrel Ellis made a wrenchingly heartfelt body of work based on his late fathers photographs. Theyve remained obscure until now. -- Chris Wiley * New Yorker * Addresses the myriad components of identity through patrimony, race, self-perception, and aesthetic tampering. -- Sarah Moroz * Bookforum *
