Hello all, hoping you’re having a good week so far and making the most of what life and time has to offer? I’d like to share a recent presentation, courtesy of Artistsinfo/ Global artist guide. A busy period for me but one that will result in lots of interesting posts on collaborations and featured guest artists. Will update and share further news very shortly. Until then, look after yourself and those close to you!
Soul of a Nation shines a bright light on the vital contribution of black artists to a dramatic period in American art and history.
The show opens in 1963 at the height of the Civil Rights movement and its dreams of integration. In its wake emerged more militant calls for Black Power: a rallying cry for African American pride, autonomy and solidarity, drawing inspiration from newly independent African nations.
Artists responded to these times by provoking, confronting, and confounding expectations. Their momentum makes for an electrifying visual journey. Vibrant paintings, powerful murals, collage, photography, revolutionary clothing designs and sculptures made with Black hair, melted records, and tights – the variety of artworks reflects the many viewpoints of artists and collectives at work during these explosive times.
Some engage with legendary figures from the period, with paintings in homage to political leaders Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and Angela Davis, musician John Coltrane and sporting hero Jack Johnson. Muhammad Ali is here in Andy Warhol’s famous painting. An original Sugar Shack painting by Ernie Barnes – known as a Marvin Gaye album cover – leaves the US for the first time.
Spanning the emergence of Black feminism, debates over the possibility of a unique Black aesthetic in photography, and including activist posters as well as purely abstract works, the exhibition asks how the concept of Black Art was promoted, contested and sometimes flatly rejected by artists across the United States.
With most of the 150 artworks on display in the UK for the first time, the exhibition introduces more than 50 exceptional American artists, including influential figures Romare Bearden, Norman Lewis, Lorraine O’Grady and Betye Saar, among numerous others. This landmark exhibition is a rare opportunity to see era-defining artworks that changed the face of art in America.
SOUL OF A NATION: ART IN THE AGE OF BLACK POWER
Soul of A Nation- Art in the Age of Black Power runs at the Tate Modern from 1st July to 22nd October. For further information please visit the Tate’s website
Wishing everyone a happy, healthy and prosperous 2016! January starts with visiting the first of a number of shows featuring inspiring art by inspiring artists.
Tiwani Contemporary now represents Ethiopian artist Robel Temesgen and hosts his first UK solo exhibition this month. The exhibition collates a series of work inspired by the Ethiopian belief of Adbar and its associated rituals. In Amharic, the term ‘adbar’ refers to the embodiment of protective spirits within various elements of the natural landscape, such as lakes, mountains, rocks or trees. Trees, represented highly in this show, are strictly protected and act as a link between people and the spirit world. They can serve as shelter, places of worship and meeting points around which to discuss community matters.
Temesgen received an MFA from Tromsø Academy of Contemporary Art, University of Tromsø, Norway in 2015, and a BFA with high distinction in Fine Art (Painting) from Addis Ababa University in 2010. He has profiled highly in the Ethiopian art scene, participating in exhibitions, workshops, residencies, festivals and conferences, both locally and internationally.
Speaking to Robel during the private viewing, I found his explanation and inspiration for producing this series of pieces as fascinating as the art itself. The show runs from January 7th to February 6th at Tiwani so if you are in London over the next month why not pop by?
On Friday 8 January, 7pm Robel Temesgen will be in conversation with Hans Ulrich Obrist at the Gallery. For further info please visit http://www.tiwani.co.uk/Home/Exhibitions
A Day In the life of an Artist: David Emmanuel Noel 