There’s a Lot of Good Black Art in NYC Right Now
The shows I’m dreaming about while I fight boredom.
I’ve been in what I’ve identified as a mental rut for the last few weeks. Overthinking everything, not thinking enough about the right things, and fantasizing about situations that will never be. This started around the election. Like most people, I blamed the never-ending exhaustion and heaviness on the results. But that wasn’t it. Then, I thought the sun disappearing in what seemed like four hours after it rose was getting to me, so I blamed daylight savings and seasonal depression. That wasn't it either. After FaceTiming one of my sisters, it didn’t take long to realize that I’d been suffering from severe boredom.
As a Virgo Moon, I live by routine. I need to know what’s happening, where it’s happening, when it’s happening, and how it’s happening at all times. Some might see it as having an unhealthy need to control. Others might call it having a type A personality. But it keeps me levelheaded. Every now and then, this behavior conflicts with my Pisces Sun, which presents an issue. I crave spontaneity, and that routine I once basked in starts weighing me down. Those 6 am gym sessions have become so dull that I haven’t stepped foot in a gym or fitness studio in two weeks. The debilitating task of combing my hair every day had me contemplating cutting it all off again. But, the grow-out process quickly deaded that thought. And I can’t begin to express how T.I. red (IYKYK) I am with my wardrobe. So tired that I haven’t left my apartment for the last two weeks unless I absolutely had to because I have nothing to wear. It could be the holiday season and the influx of sales that makes me want to purchase an entire new closet, but every time I go in there, there are no clothes. Is someone breaking in the middle of the night to steal my garments piece by piece as I sleep? Who knows, but it sure feels that way.
Another thing I’ve been extremely bored with is the art in LA, which is disappointing as there were a lot of good shows earlier this season. Besides Chase Hall’s exhibition at David Kordansky and a two-person show at Abigail Ogilvy that I have yet to see, nothing has excited me the last few weeks—except for Terence Malukeke’s new exhibition “Like a Fish in the Water” at Southern Guild. I was introduced to Maluleke’s work earlier this year at the Cape Town Art Fair but haven’t looked into his story or practice. So, when a friend shared the invite to the South African artist’s walkthrough of his first US solo exhibition, there was no way I was missing it. Artists are art’s best thing. Where they grew up, their family, morals, values, and life experiences all influence what they create and why. I usually develop a deeper connection with the work after learning such things. After hearing Maluleke walk us through his body of new paintings exploring themes of faith, self-determination, and death, I walked away feeling like I’d left a church service. When he described the inspiration behind Offering to God, a painting featuring four barefoot Black men dressed in all white and pushing a wooden fish-shaped boat, he detailed how the visuals came to him while speaking to God. Talk about a word.
Though the rest of the LA art scene has me on snooze, I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t go searching for mental stimulation elsewhere. And it should be no surprise that the first place I turned was New York. There’s a lot of good art—good Black art—currently on view in the city. So good that I’m considering leaving mild, consistent weather for brick temps to see a few of these must-see shows for myself. If you’re lucky enough to be in the city in the next few weeks, make it your business to check out at least one of these shows. And maybe prepare for my arrival?
“Simone Leigh”
On view until December 21 at Matthew Marks Gallery
Simone Leigh’s new eponymous exhibition features 11 never-before-seen ceramic and bronze sculptures. I’ve already expressed my love for Leigh’s work. Her practice, rooted in African diasporic history, Black female-identified subjectivity, and women’s traditional acts of labor, will never tire me. I’m particularly fascinated by Artemis, a sculpture of a headless woman covered in intricate lace drapery made from porcelain, reminding me of my grandmother’s old table settings.
“Edges of Ailey”
On view until February 9 at the Whitney Museum of American Art
I’ve been waiting to see this show since it was announced earlier this year. This is the first large-scale museum exhibition honoring the late artist and choreographer’s life and work, and it’s more than well-deserved. I can’t express how much I enjoy Ailey’s work. It represents Black movement, elegance, migration, liberation, music, and spirituality, and it’s a show I can see year after year and feel immense joy every single time. The exhibition features performance footage, poems, drawings, short stories, choreographic notes, and more found in Ailey’s archives alongside works by more than 80 artists, including Jean-Michel Basquiat, Faith Ringgold, and Rashid Johnson. I especially want to see the new works by Karon Davis, Mickalene Thomas, and Lynette Yiadom-Boakye that are being presented for the first time. The exhibition’s live performance program, featuring more than 90 intimate performances by the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, Ailey II, and the Ailey School one week each month, takes the presentation to the next level. Curator Adrienne Edwards and team are deep in their bag with this one.
“The High and Soft Laughter of the N***** Wenches at Night, In the Colorless Light of Day” by Kara Walker
On view until December 14 at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. Gallery
Kara Walker is one of those artists whose work continues to spark controversy, especially among Black people. She has been accused of pandering to white people’s enjoyment with her use of black cut-paper silhouettes to explore race, gender, sexuality, and violence. Though they’re not completely wrong, I see her work of Black mythical archetypes as a satirical way to play in white people’s faces and charge them tens of thousands of dollars to do so. But, the use of the n-word with a strong “er” in this show’s title is disturbing. Because what? Please don’t piss me off. Nonetheless, I still think her new works of colored watercolor and ink collages are worth seeing, as the artist rarely uses color in her practice.
“No Title” by Henry Taylor
On view until February 15 at Hauser & Wirth Gallery
Known for his colorful portrait paintings of family, friends, celebrities, and strangers, Henry Taylor’s debut of etchings and hand-painted monoprints is a new realm for the artist. I love it when artists expand their practice and try new things, as I truly believe continuous learning will mold us into the best versions of ourselves. What intrigues me the most about this intimate body of work is that a few featured prints have various iterations where the artist experiments with color, texture, and meaning. Other shows on view at Hauser & Wirth are Gary Simmons’s “Thin Ice” at the gallery’s Wooster Street location and Lorna Simpson’s “Earth & Sky” at the 22nd Street location, both ending January 11.
“Flight into Egypt: Black Artists and Ancient Egypt, 1876–Now”
On view until February 17 at the Metropolitan Museum of Art
I missed the Harlem Renaissance exhibition at The Met earlier this year and still haven’t gotten over it because I heard it was beyond good. Though I don’t expect this to compare, I find it interesting that the museum collected almost 200 works of art in a wide range of media from the 19th century to now to showcase how Black artists and other cultural figures have engaged with ancient Egypt through their practice. The objects on view range from Lauren Halsey and Karon Davis sculptures to literature to albums by Erykah Badu and Nicki Minaj to fashion by Denim Tears (hate this brand) to Michael Jackson’s “Remember the Time” music video. For the first time, The Met incorporated a performance series for this show, with live performances twice every Friday (except December 27 and January 3) through the end of the exhibition. I won’t get into Black Americans’s association with ancient Egypt right now because it’s all too complicated and will derail the meaning of this post. But it’s something I need to dedicate more time to understanding.
“Ancient Reign” by Noah Davis
On view at David Zwirner Gallery until January 25
Speaking of ancient Egypt, a few collages reference Egyptian mythology and iconography in Noah Davis’s new show at David Zwirner. I admire artist Karon Davis’s commitment to keeping her late husband’s work alive. She curated this presentation of works on paper—many on view for the first time—that provide insight into the ideas, interests, and influences that informed his work. A selection of paintings is also on view to complement the works on paper and emphasize the connection between the artist’s paintings, drawings, and collages.
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If you see any of these shows, please share your thoughts. Did you like it? Did you feel anything? Was it mid and not working viewing? I want to know!
Love the honesty of this post friend. And I wanna see all these! Ah gotta love NY
Yessss Virgo Moon! (Virgo Rising, here). Also- that T.I. red lolol.