Kerry James Marshall - The Histories
He is considered one of the most influential contemporary painters.
Kerry James Marshall is an African American artist known for his large-scale compositions that centre Black people.
Last autumn, the Royal Academy in London had a major restrospective of his work.
His painting are now on show in Paris in a gigantic series of display at Musée d'Art Moderne (MAM), Paris 16eme.
The core collection and artworks are the same, travelled from London through Zurich to Paris, but the layout and experience differ due to the architecture of each venue.
The Royal Academy featured an enfilade of rooms with traditional sight lines, whereas the Paris installation at Musée d'Art Moderne de Paris displays the works against white walls with a linear, single-path flow.
I knew some of his work, but had missed the show at the Royal Academy, and it's a pure delight to see the show's version at MAM. it's immense, intense, mesmerising, still provocative.
Critics describe how the artist "plays with reflections in mirrors" and mostly re-paint enormous parts of the history of art.
Marshall was born in Birmingham, Alabama, grew up in the Watts neighbourhood of Los Angeles, and lived in Chicago, Illinois. His life path is often described as "deeply intertwined with locations that serve as symbols of the Civil Rights and Black Power movements."
This exhibition is the most extensive retrospective in Europe dedicated to this major painter of Black identity.
It offers an incisive overview comprising 70 monumental works, including a striking new series on the subject of slavery, created specifically for this show.
“As necessary as it is unmissable” - The Guardian
There is much more to say, but best is to see it for yourself...
-
On show until 24 January 2027.
No comments:
Post a Comment