Tang Collective Catalog

Kerry James Marshall’s If I Had a Possession Over Judgement Day appears celebratory. The bright colors, dancing, and music imply gaiety; however, the forced expression, nakedness, and comical depiction of an African American man suggest a deeper meaning. Marshall reflects on stereotypical depictions of black men by using an exaggerated and comically flat cartoonish figure. The work recalls other contemporary artists, such as Kara Walker, who reclaim and comment on the impact and influence of racial parodies.

One of the first pieces that drew my attention in the Collections of Claude Simard exhibition was Nancy Spero’s Artemisia II. As a Classics major, I immediately recognized the notorious “Dildo Dancer,” an image that harkens back to female ecstasy and homoerotic relationships in ancient Greece, like Sappho and her flirtatious attitude toward women in the 6th century BCE. For me, the dancer represents female empowerment and sexual freedom. This feminist imagery, which permeates the entire painting, is supported by the title, a reference to Artemisia I of Caria, a Greek female warrior queen who was most notable for her participation in the Battle of Samos in 480 BCE. Spero has successfully used ancient Greek icons to present modern feminist ideas.

The geometric patterns are contrasting but the photo isn’t staged to force a sense of order. There is equal focus on the form of the woman as well as the patterns. The organic shapes on the frame provide even more motion and contrast. I enjoy how each element comes together to form a whole.

Western Currents evokes questions, more questions than answers. What is the source of the light in the foreground? Is it the moon or is it supernatural? What has happened and what is happening to the figures—did they jump into the water or were they thrown overboard? What are the shafts of light coming at them from the boat? Are they meant to wound or kill the figures in the water, or to connect?
I have heard visitors explain this work as depicting the current immigration crisis in the Mediterranean. There are certainly parallels. Unlike the slaves, the immigrants are choosing to get into the boats; however, because of the dangerous situations in their homelands, they likely feel they have no choice. The voyages they take are dangerous; the boats are overcrowded; many perish in the water.

I invite the children to sit around Nick Cave’s Soundsuit and the curiosity is instant. “This man looks like he likes to travel around the world because of all the globes floating around him,” says a little boy. “He collects toys, too, because he wants to stay a little longer in the children’s world,” says a little girl. Someone asked me if at night he walks around and remembers all the places and people he met in his journey as a collector. The figure stands on a magic egg. Inside there is more treasure. And just like that, we are creating a wonderful world together.

The gashed piece with red, wrinkled folds hangs adjacent to a portrait of an austere nun. The Old Testament declares the pain of childbirth a punishment, and the necessity of giving birth absolute. The vagina has been referred to as a “wound,” assigning violence as soon as a body forms prenatally: to have a vagina is not an act of violence, but invites one. Where the title references Lucio Fontana’s destruction of his canvases, the grouping in Wayne’s piece may indicate strength in numbers. The variety in sizes and shapes of the labia may convey a positive acknowledgment of diverse perspectives to bolster the efforts of a reactionary cause.

Drawing the window shades to shut out the outside world.

Being drawn in to the colors of the imagination.

Light peeking out from behind the shades as a reminder of the outside world.

As I approached this collection of drawings, what struck me first was the style of the subject matter. Their graphic quality and their placement reminded me of traditional tattoos or how tattoos are displayed in shops. As I got closer the images appeared less constricted to stylization and more free or “childlike.” Each snake has its own character—it’s own form and movement—that contributes to the collection of drawings as a whole.

Within a display of Bura Funerary urns, an ambiguous, white column towers in the middle. Perhaps it is meant to symbolize the life force that once was, the life that, upon its expiration, is now found in the urns. Or, one could say that the sculpture gives the impression of something being propelled upwards with water, much like a fountain. In this way, “Second Ave, No. 5” by Andrew Lord, evokes movement, and yet it is fixed. Atop the sculpture are wing-like formations. Perhaps it is a bird, freed from purgatory, being thrust into immortal life. The piece’s ambiguity is what appealed to me; it is art as poetry.

A dark stormy sea, yet light emanates from the sky. Exaggerated complimentary cool and warm colors. Luscious painted surface juxtaposed with glossy collaged paper. Figures on board, and more in the waves. Are they swimming to freedom? Escaping the horrors of the boat? Or being rescued back into the vessel? Bailey’s powerful image is full of mysterious dichotomies, raising more questions than answers. What do you think is going on in this picture?

When I saw the objects within the cabinet I was initially confused by their randomness but over time, I began to see how the funny collection was precious to David Ireland. This context made me reconsider their everydayness, but the cabinet also made me realize the careful way in which they are displayed. I now see them as a reflection of the whimsicality that Ireland embodies and incorporates into his work. How does the cabinet change our perception of what’s inside? Does the cabinet create a mini museum of the collection?

I first experienced one of Nick Cave’s Soundsuits at the Tang in 2015, the year I began working at the museum. “Affinity Atlas” featured Cave’s early sculptural manipulation of twigs. The suit in Claude Simard’s collection is an explosion of crocheted pattern, globes, and color. Cave’s very first #Soundsuit, created in 1992, was a reaction to the beating of Rodney King and the L.A. riots. From twigs to toys, Cave’s use of everyday objects and references to social and material culture have caught my attention. Having recently graduated, I feel very fortunate to have interacted with his work in two separate Tang exhibitions.

Brad Kahlhamer’s works document the artist’s journey on discovering identity. Adopted at birth and raised by two German-American parents, Kahlhamer struggled with getting in touch with his Native American roots as a child and young adult. Now, the artist uses art as a medium to channel his search for identity, creating what he calls a “third place” in which Kahlhamer can grow as a complex and ever-evolving human, embracing his mixed heritage.

With the instantaneous and shocking recognition of the Nike “swooshes” depicted on the man’s bare chest, Thomas questions the identity of black men in advertisements throughout history. With the clever duality of the term “branded,” the photograph forces viewers to reevaluate their personal stereotypes and assumptions. The implications surrounding race in advertisements astounds and fascinates Thomas. The next time you view an advertisement, ignore the written or spoken words. What are the images truly communicating?

This leaning painting encompasses the creativity of Phil Frost. The top white layer of correction fluid that confidently covers the bottom layers of his composition fascinates me. I wonder if the tired, elongated faces are self-portraits, or reflections of his inner self. The worn-out quality of the canvas complements the organic, natural quality of each of his brush strokes, which he paints freehand, without the use of a stencil.

Titus Kaphar plays with the idea of historical paintings and makes them contemporary. By cutting, slicing, and adding on to his work, he contradicts the traditional flatness of the medium. In some of his paintings, sections are surgically cut out and replaced elsewhere. For this piece, a more aggressive approach was taken. This results in a physical and visceral interaction with the work.

Traditionally, Phulkari Textiles were labeled “women’s work.” That doesn’t mean they’re merely delicate and pretty. Even though Bagh Textiles like this one were used as clothing or wedding presents, the geometric patterns and bright gold color argue for a kind of femininity that is strong, bold, and durable. Its large scale allows the eye to be drawn to the pattern’s sharp angles, and the tight stitches and sheen add a tough steely element. That’s the femininity I see in this textile.

In Kerry James Marshall’s drawing, a naked man spins hula hoops and juggles while singing If I had possession over judgement day, the first line of a song by the blues great Robert Johnson. While the song is about the loss of his woman to another man, and how she and her new man would get no mercy from him on judgement day, Marshall’s drawing suggests much more. What might it mean for the man in this drawing to control judgement day? Is he keeping all those balls and hoops up for fun or out of necessity? What would it mean for anybody to assume, in essence, the role of god?

While standing in front of Jackie Nickerson’s Sr. Irene, I felt a wave of discomfort and curiosity wash over my body. The life-size, high-resolution portrait renders Sr. Irene’s presence tangible. Her judgmental stare feels as though she’s observing me as much as I’m studying her. My eyes wandered around the frame, avoiding her direct gaze. I thought it would be disrespectful, and Sr. Irene would punish me. The contrast between her black habit and the stark white background caused the figure to glow, increasing her all-powerful demeanor. Sr. Irene commanded attention and respect, and caused me to question my own authority.

Tim Rollins and K.O.S’s Study for Amerika - A Refuge, 1992, exemplifies his work as a role model for today’s teachers. He took what was present in his students and let it grow. Through Kafka’s Amerika, his students applied his teachings to their own lives to make the work. Rollins’s process recalls something I learned in Skidmore College Professor Hope Casto’s class Multicultural Education. To bridge cultural divides and to bring teachers and students closer together, teachers can bring in their own lives as a prompt for students to share something about themselves as well. That’s what I see in Study for Amerika.

I work everyday with digital reproductions of art, and what I first noticed about the image of this Bagh Textile was the graphic pattern and how it looked so contemporary. Today, I finally saw it in the gallery. I was immediately struck by its size and radiance: each tiny silk stitch works together to form a magical—more than 7-foot tall—whole. It reminds me that viewing art in person is invaluable.

This Nick Cave Soundsuit, unlike others, isn’t meant to be embodied. So if it isn’t for the body, then is it for the mind? Each globe floats around the figure like thought bubbles that are worlds unto themselves; however, the rich complexities of ideas are mixed with a cacophony of childhood bric-a-brac: a nostalgia of toys precariously balanced on a before-the-fall Humpty Dumpty. Cave here plays with the Romantic period notion of the child and allows us to think of our ideas — no matter how serious or on the edge — as being full of liveliness, joy, and humor.

Toyin Ojih Odutola’s dark pen, ink and marker portraits feature vivid, neon spots of pigment. They remind me of disco lights, and instantly drew me in. I did a little digging, and discovered that Odutola always tints her figures with black, even when she’s not depicting black people. She is challenging the connotations of the color black as undesirable and evil; instead, she posits black as valuable and positive. She said in a recent Forbes interview, “Black can be a warm, enveloping place to be.”

I once held Bailey’s Western Currents in the palm of my hand, blurry, pixelated, a loop of linty scotch tape on the back. The miniature model of the painting – sized for the miniature model of the Malloy Wing – did not even begin to do Bailey’s piece justice. I was frozen when I saw it in person, in awe of the enormous scale, the massive presence. One looks eye to eye with the figures on the boat, confronted by the rough water, the fallen figures, and the reference to slavery’s middle passage.