MUST-SEE EXHIBITION openings and interesting talks and appearances happening this week in black art:
May 1-31, 2014
Toyin Odutola at Jack Shainman Gallery | New York
Nigerian-born Toyin Odutola’s latest exhibition at Jack Shainman Gallery was inspired by her two younger brothers who are depicted in the works. According to the gallery, “Like the Sea” marks a new direction for Odutola as she moves away from the strict use of pen ink into the dense here layering of pastels and charcoal while positioning her subjects amidst settings of rich textiles and graphic backdrops. The exhibition is on view at the gallery’s West 24th Street location.
May 1-June 2, 2014
Faith Ringgold on the High Line | New York
This spring, the view from the High Line will be elevated by the lively image of “Faith Ringgold‘s “Groovin High” (shown above). Ringgold has reconfigured the 1986 story quilt “depicting a crowded dance hall bordered by quilted hand-dyed fabrics” for the 14th installment of the High Line Billboard. The work will be on view at West 18th Street and 10th Avenue.
May 1-June 15, 2014
Ibrahim El Salahi Exhibition at Skoto Gallery | New York
In his first U.S. exhibition since his well-received 2013 retrospective at the London’s Tate Modern, Sudanese-born artist Ibrahim El Salahi is presenting drawings and paintings at Skoto Gallery in Chelsea. “Ibrahim El Salahi: Selected Works, 1962-2010” features two decades of works described by the gallery as “synthesizing aspects of Western art with Arabic calligraphy and diverse cultural traditions.”
May 1-June 28, 2014
Remembering Birmingham: Dawoud Bey at Mary Boone Gallery | New York
The 50th anniversary of the 1963 Birmingham church bombing that killed four young girls was the genesis for Dawoud Bey‘s moving series of photographs. Bey photographed current residents at the church and the Birmingham Museum. His subjects are children the same age as the victims (11 to 14-years-old) and adults 50 years older (the same age the decease girls would be if they hadn’t been murdered). The large-scale, black-and-white images presented side-by-side make a stunning visual statement. The backstory amplifies their poignance. “Dawoud Bey: The Birmingham Project” is on view at Mary Boone Gallery’s Fifth Avenue location. A pair of Bey’s diptychs are also currently on exhibit at the 2014 Whitney Biennial.
Installation view of “Buy Black” by Kerry James Marshall at “Black” Eye exhibition | Photo by Victoria L. Valentine
May 3-24, 2014
Black Contemporary Artists Gather in Tribeca | New York
“Black Eye,” a group show that explores the shifting dynamics of race and identity over the past two decades, features a who’s who among two generations of black contemporary artists. Curated by Nicola Vassell, the exhibition includes works by 26 artists, Sanford Biggers, Lynette Yiadom Boakye, Nick Cave, LaToya Ruby Frazier, Simone Leigh, Kerry James Marshall (shown above), Steve McQueen, Toyin Odutola, Gary Simmons, Xaviera Simmons, Hank Willis Thomas, Kehinde Wiley and Nari Ward, among them.
May 3-Aug. 17, 2014
Sam Doyle Works on View at LACMA | Los Angeles
Self-trained artist Sam Doyle (1906-1985) began painting in 1944, using found objects such as sheet metal and wood board as his canvases. “Sam Doyle: Mind’s Eye” at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art showcases the strengths and defining characteristics of his work, which the museum describes thus: “Known for a wide-ranging palette of vibrant colors, Doyle’s approach to painting can be characterized as gestural figuration.” Born in the Gullah Sea Island community off the coast of South Carolina, most of portraits in the exhibition depict residents of Doyle’s native St. Helena Island.
TOP IMAGE: “Groovin’ High” by Faith Ringgold via The High Line
