Opening Ceremony Part One

So this week was the beginning of the art season. I missed most of the downtown openings on Wednesday because I had class, but I hit Chelsea hard on Thursday. There were 1728347 shows opening that night and I managed to make it to 10. I'll do a separate post on each show.

Mark Bradford and Kara Walker at Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
These are two black artists that deal somewhat (Bradford) or explicitly (Walker) with racial issues in their work. Mark Bradford uses urban Los Angeles posters and signage to make abstract paintings. Kara Walker is know for disturbing work using silhouettes that depict the horrors of slavery. Both are established successful artists and the works in this exhibition were mostly similar to their previous work. Walker's work makes everyone uncomfortable including me but upon encountering her new cutout puppet video piece featuring master on slave violence, the first thing I thought was "Why is she still talking about this?" Maybe it's my upbringing but I can't understand how anyone could become so obsessed with the antebellum south. Her text paintings were more connected with the contemporary black experience and a few of them continue to haunt me. Here is some of the two artist's previous work that I like. Click to enlarge.

Mark Bradford


A Truly Rich Man is One Whose Children Run Into His Arms When His Hands
are Empty, 2008 Mixed media collage on canvas 102 x 144 inches


I WILL TONIGHT, 2008
Mixed media collage on canvas
102 x 144 inches


Kryptonite, 2006
mixed mediacollage on paper
249 x 301 cm


Los Moscos, 2004
Mixed media on canvas
125 x 190 1/2 inches









Kara Walker

Darkytown Rebellion, 2001 Installation view at Brent Sikkema, New York Projection, cut paper and adhesive on wall, 14 x 37 1/2 feet


Gone, An Historical Romance of a Civil War as it Occurred between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart, 1994
Installation view at the Walker Art Center, Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co.
Photo by Gene Pittman

(detail)

(detail)


Cut, 1998

Actually I don't like these Kara Walker works at all. They make me want to throw up. Apparently earlier in her career she was boycotted by a group of older black artists. The most disturbing thing about these types of works are their life in the commercial gallery system. This is an oversimplification but basically rich white collectors buy this racist imagery and display it in their homes. There are many things that can be justified by the "It's art." response but if I walked into someone's home (regardless of their ethnicity) and saw a piece of art that featured/appropriated/created racist imagery, It would make me really uncomfortable and I would have a few questions. What attracted you to this work? Why do you want to live with this? Interestingly, aside from the video, the works at the Sikkema Jenkins & Co. were relatively tame. This could be a sign of the times and a need to sell.

Next, Peter Hujar at Matthew Marks Gallery.