Quick note: This edition is a bit delayed due to the catastrophic weather we’ve experienced here in central Texas. What a mess.
Here in the United States, February is Black History Month. Among many other things, it’s a time to reflect on the giants that have shaped not only American culture but have inspired people across the world. This edition will be different from others in that I’m taking the opportunity to share work from a set of artists that I have found to be not just meaningful to me, but are important to the vitality of American art. All of the artists are living and in the middle of thriving careers, so their prices fall well into the “aspirational” range. That said, it is exciting to follow their careers and see what they do next.
Before we get it into it, a couple of media recommendations. HBO Max released a riveting documentary “Black Art: In the Absence of Light” which dives into the history of African-Americans fine artists. It is heartbreaking and frustrating, but the portrayal of contemporary artists is really exciting. The New York Times has a fascinating article about African-American abstract artists and the resistance they have faced to work that does not figuratively depict Black life in America.
To the art!
Kerry James Marshall
It took me a sec to understand what KJM was up to - or at least some of it. I’ve been peripherally aware of his work, but I didn’t really see it until Jerry Saltz (art critic, New York Magazine) referenced one of his works in “How To Be An Artist” (actually not a crap book). I love artists that are total nerds for their art. KJM brings all of the history of painting to bear of the stories he wants to tell. Phaidon has a pretty good book that has been my go-to when I just want to sit with his work.
Jennifer Packer
Jennifer’s work is super inspiring to me. The energy and life it contains convinces me (again) that works of art are works of magic. The balance of control and expression is not a thing easily arrived at. You can see a talk with her here.
Toyin Ojih Odutola
There is so much about Toyin’s work that I can’t help but be really really into. Her body of work contains highly observed portraits and an epic science fiction narrative. The ambition is massive and her work demonstrates how far someone can push a medium to tell a story.
Here’s a superb profile of her written by Zadie Smith for The New Yorker. I’ve read it at least twice. Ok, more than twice.
Toyin’s Instagram
Toyin’s website
Mark Bradford
I think I’ve only seen Mark’s work in person once. But even online, it’s possible to sense the weight of its presence. Looking in to it, you’ll see the meaning lies in the materials he chooses and how they are layered as much as the overall effect.
It’s pretty easy to find out more about Mark and his work. A good place to start is the American pavilion in the 2017 Venice Biennale. You can see some of his output from the past year of quarantine here. And, KCRW in LA has a good interview with him about that body of work.
Rashid Johnson
I do not like all of Rashid’s work equally. However, I am very inspired by the boundlessness of what he does. There’s not a medium he won’t dive into, including feature film. He talks about the breadth his work as his project. I admire the lengths he goes to pursue it.
This interview is a good primer to Rashid and his work. I encourage you to dig deeper.
His gallery also has a few films that are worth checking out.
(Art nerds: the podcast series linked above is a really great set of thoughtful and insightful interviews with artists.)
Rashid’s Instagram
Dawoud Bey
I love portraiture in all its forms. Human beings who have dedicated themselves to making art about other human beings have all spoken about capturing something ineffable about their subjects. That brief flash of organic human-ness that at once says this is a unique being, and is at the same time recognizable as “us”. I cannot help be drawn into Dawoud’s work which spans decades of observing people and capturing these human flashes. There’s a good NYT profile of him from last year that gives insight into how an artist thinks about their work over a long and focused career.
Here’s smidge of an overview from an ongoing exhibition. Here’s a bit more about Dawoud and the exhibition. I’m going to leave you with one of the best portraits. of any medium, of all time.
Dawoud’s Instagram
Thank you again for subscribing. There’s some fun stuff in store for future editions. Stay tuned and please share with your art-loving friends.