Pigment wanted to delve deeper into the bruhaha that has arisen around “The Embrace” the monumental work by Hank Willis Thomas that was unveiled last week in Boston.  A good place to start is with the fact that Thomas is a conceptual artist.  Conceptual art is art for which the idea (or concept) behind the work is more important than the finished art object and the materials and the form are chosen for putting the idea across.  

The conceptual art movement emerged in the 1960s and generally refers to works created from then through the 70s. The first recognized piece of conceptual art was done by French painter, sculptor and writer Marcel Duchamp, an iconoclast, who refused to be identified with just one style.  His piece, ‘Fountain, was an actual urinal, submitted to an art fair in New York in 1917.  (This is giving us vibes like the ones we associate with the ‘Banana’ that sold for 120K at Art Basel in 2019, only yuckier)  

Duchamp influenced scores of artists from Warhol to Koons.  David Hammons’ “For The Holy Bible, Old Testament”, repurposed a copy of The Complete Works of Marcel Duchamp for his exhibition at the Honolulu Museum of Art (HoMA).  And Kerry James Marshall upon completing his large-scale work “Untitled,” said that he, like Duchamp, was inspired by the art of the possible. 

All this to say that Thomas follows in this tradition, creating art on the grandest scale.  His masterful and monumental creation was flawlessly executed, and we can’t wait to see it in person.  I was told by an artist that experiencing a piece like this two dimensionally does it a disservice. The other thing at play here is the significance of this piece at this time in our country’s history.  In the Fall-Winter 2020-21 issue of the award winning Pigment Magazine, we explored what will sit in the public square of the future in a piece titled, “A Discourse on Monuments.”  If public art continues on this path, those that come behind us will get a much clearer picture of the strength and beauty of this country.  Much more than we’ve had in the preceding 247 years.  

Consider the time capsule that is the family photo album. The venerable South Side Community Art Center (SSCAC) applied that concept to the Great Migration in their exhibition The Promised Land.   And rather than the oft kilter, unfocused photos that predominate many of our albums, what we see is the work of 11 amazing photographers offering up their varied perspectives of the big city-small town that is Chicago. Curated by Lola Ayisha Ogbara, the exhibition showcases the work of artists whose familial ties are rooted in the small rural hamlets and towns from whence our ancestors came, known simply as ‘The South’.    And the SSCAC dug deeply into its own family photos, showcasing an album with gems from their collection including images of artists and institutions builders Dr. Margaret Burroughs and Eldzier Cortor. We also liked the great images of the third floor artist’s studio.  What a moment in time! The Promised Land continues through March 25^th.  

Art on the 9ine continues with our partners Bop Biz and Black Mall.

Click the link to see Dr. Hill's appearance on Antique Road Show and the results.

"Adam" by photographer Tony Smith is available here and at Artists on the 9ine

Pigment International™ is a Black women founded and run multi-media arts platform reporting on the art, people, issues, trends, and events shaping Black contemporary art and examining the linkages connecting historical and contemporary Black art. Founded in 2018 in Chicago, Pigment serves as a connector within our community of Black creators, collectors, curators, investors, and other stakeholders. We are conveners, bringing together the Black art ecosystem for inspiring, cross generational dialogue. We are the publishers of Pigment Magazine and founders of Black Fine Art Month®.  Follow Pigment International on FB and IG.  See our Annual report here.  At Pigment International we tell stories!