Laurence Schwinger (b. 1941)
Kindred
signed 'L. Schwinger' (bottom right)
pencil on paper
11⁵⁄₈ x 9in. ( 29.5 x 22.9cm.)
executed circa 1979

An early sketch of the first edition dust-jacket artwork for Kindred, Octavia E. Butler’s seminal work which has become a landmark of the Afrofuturism genre.

Since Kindred’s publication in 1979, critics have struggled to categorize Butler’s work of boundary-breaking science fiction which the author describes as ‘a kind of grim fantasy’. One contemporary review described the book as a science fiction novel in which ‘the alien planet is the antebellum South as seen through the eyes of a horrified 20^th century Black woman’. Butler burst onto the literary scene as one of the first high profile Black female authors in her genre. Undeterred by a literary tradition which had largely omitted perspectives like hers, Butler wrote herself into the American literary canon with unrivalled sharpness and poignancy, often utilizing mind-bending sci-fi narratives to comment on relevant social issues. Butler's collection of work earned her many honours including the MacArthur 'Genius' Grant, the Nebula and Hugo Awards – the two highest honours for science fiction – a PEN Lifetime Achievement Award, and the City College of New York’s Langston Hughes Medal in 2005.

The original dust-jacket artwork for the first edition of Kindred is the jewel in the crown of Laurence Schwinger's captivating portfolio, which spans various genres, showcasing a remarkable collection of book covers featuring dozens of renowned contemporary fantasy authors. His art often exudes a layered, ethereal quality with a winsome muted colour scheme. Schwinger tackles the relationship at the centre of Butler’s revolutionary novel Kindred brilliantly in his cover art, visually encapsulating the abstract connection between the protagonist, Dana, and her early 19^th-century alter ego. Its haunting, organic, fantastical and yet deeply human artistic style lends itself beautifully to the cover of this brilliant and innovative novel.

Acquired from the artist by the present owner.