I chose the clip above for Kerry James Marshall’s thoughts about how identifying as a Black artist is not a real choice, because only white artists are not burdened by the problems of race.
Then the paintings of Black artists in the ‘Being an Artist” video (above) led me to seek out more of Marshall’s paintings of Black artists (below). I found these works and almost 75 more were part of his 2017 exhibition ‘Mastry’. I also included the video interviews on ‘Mastry’, in which Marshall shares his strategies for contending with the “Old Masters” by learning what they knew, signing up as an art school grad to be part of the system that codified art, then figuring out how to project his representations and ideals for Black people within that system – showing his work at the same museums and galleries he had admired as a kid, in which no Black artists or subjects had been represented.
Kerry James Marshall Untitled (Painter) 2008 acrylic on PVC panel 28 3/4 by 24 3/4 in. (Sold for 7,325,800 USD in 2019)
Kerry James Marshall Untitled, 2009 Acrylic on PVC panel 61 1/8 × 72 7/8 × 3 7/8 in.
Kerry James Marshall Untitled (Painter), 2009 Acrylic on PVC 44 5/8 × 43 1/8 × 3 7/8 in.
Process for Mastry: Kerry James Marshall, 2017
In ‘Process’ (above), Marshall talks about the portraits that have paint by number paintings in them (two shown above, one below) :
“The reason the painting behind the figure is a paint by number painting is that paint by number paintings are a system. It’s a system that allows everyone who wants to try to make a painting is allowed to make a painting like the one they already appreciate. But you can see there’s a kind of arbitrariness to the way the paint is being applied to the paint by number painting which means the subject has taken liberties with the way the system determines the way you represent within this already outlined and defined image – even of [how you represent] oneself.” – Kerry James Marshall
Kerry James Marshall Untitled (Painter) 2010 acrylic on PVC panel
Kerry James Marshall Untitled, 2008
Kerry James Marshall Untitled
Jerry James Marshall talks about his exhibition Mastry, organized by the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, and The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles.
“‘Mastry’ (2017) is Kerry James Marshall’s first major retrospective in the United States, and includes nearly 80 paintings, all of which contain images of Black subjects going about their daily business, presented with utter equality and humanity. A deeply accomplished artist, who makes ravishing paintings, Marshall’s strategy was three fold. First, as a young artist he decided to paint only black figures. He was unequivocal in his pursuit of black beauty. His figures are an unapologetic ebony black, and they occupy the paintings with a sense of authority and belonging. Second, Marshall worked to make a wide variety of images populated with black people. This led him to make exquisite portraits, lush landscape paintings, everyday domestic interiors, and paintings that depict historical events, all featuring black subjects as if their activities were completely and utterly normal. Third, Marshall concentrated on painterly mastery as a fundamental strategy. By mastering the art of representational and figurative painting, during a period when neither was in vogue, Marshall produced a body of work that bestows beauty and dignity where it had long been denied. In his studio in Chicago, Marshall discusses his career, his strategies to circumvent institutional inequality, and his mission to diversify the cultural representations that are prioritized and historicized by the museum and art history canon.” (Source: MOCA)
Mastry, at the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Kerry James Marshall, 2017
Kerry James Marshall Portrait of a Curator (In Memory of Beryl Wright), 2009 Acrylic on PVC panel 30 7/8 × 24 7/8 × 1 7/8 in
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
[image_with_animation image_url=”10475″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Lucy Garnett These figure drawings were made in the last couple of sessions of my 5 week Beginning Figure Drawing Class. They are drawn with confidence, style, and sensitivity. Each week we practiced a different style of drawing, and a different way of approaching the figure. One style was …
[image_with_animation image_url=”6062″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] The Met: 1,600 Free Art Books Online With an art historical focus, this comprehensive collection of over 1,600 full-text titles features everything from African to American art. Like traditional print editions, nearly every online art book features a table of contents and information about the author. Unlike hardcopies, however, the Met’s free online book also …
Take a class with SAL – anywhere! I’ve been using the words “woodblock” and “woodcut” interchangeably, but I noticed some artists use woodblock to delineate a different type of printmaking. I keep getting confused about which is which, but everyone still knows what I’m talking about. Since my own ignorance is itching at me, I …
Being an Artist; Kerry James Marshall
I chose the clip above for Kerry James Marshall’s thoughts about how identifying as a Black artist is not a real choice, because only white artists are not burdened by the problems of race.
Then the paintings of Black artists in the ‘Being an Artist” video (above) led me to seek out more of Marshall’s paintings of Black artists (below). I found these works and almost 75 more were part of his 2017 exhibition ‘Mastry’. I also included the video interviews on ‘Mastry’, in which Marshall shares his strategies for contending with the “Old Masters” by learning what they knew, signing up as an art school grad to be part of the system that codified art, then figuring out how to project his representations and ideals for Black people within that system – showing his work at the same museums and galleries he had admired as a kid, in which no Black artists or subjects had been represented.
Untitled (Painter) 2008
acrylic on PVC panel
28 3/4 by 24 3/4 in.
(Sold for 7,325,800 USD in 2019)
Untitled, 2009
Acrylic on PVC panel
61 1/8 × 72 7/8 × 3 7/8 in.
Untitled (Painter), 2009
Acrylic on PVC
44 5/8 × 43 1/8 × 3 7/8 in.
In ‘Process’ (above), Marshall talks about the portraits that have paint by number paintings in them (two shown above, one below) :
“The reason the painting behind the figure is a paint by number painting is that paint by number paintings are a system. It’s a system that allows everyone who wants to try to make a painting is allowed to make a painting like the one they already appreciate. But you can see there’s a kind of arbitrariness to the way the paint is being applied to the paint by number painting which means the subject has taken liberties with the way the system determines the way you represent within this already outlined and defined image – even of [how you represent] oneself.” – Kerry James Marshall
Untitled (Painter) 2010
acrylic on PVC panel
Untitled, 2008
Untitled
“‘Mastry’ (2017) is Kerry James Marshall’s first major retrospective in the United States, and includes nearly 80 paintings, all of which contain images of Black subjects going about their daily business, presented with utter equality and humanity. A deeply accomplished artist, who makes ravishing paintings, Marshall’s strategy was three fold. First, as a young artist he decided to paint only black figures. He was unequivocal in his pursuit of black beauty. His figures are an unapologetic ebony black, and they occupy the paintings with a sense of authority and belonging. Second, Marshall worked to make a wide variety of images populated with black people. This led him to make exquisite portraits, lush landscape paintings, everyday domestic interiors, and paintings that depict historical events, all featuring black subjects as if their activities were completely and utterly normal. Third, Marshall concentrated on painterly mastery as a fundamental strategy. By mastering the art of representational and figurative painting, during a period when neither was in vogue, Marshall produced a body of work that bestows beauty and dignity where it had long been denied. In his studio in Chicago, Marshall discusses his career, his strategies to circumvent institutional inequality, and his mission to diversify the cultural representations that are prioritized and historicized by the museum and art history canon.” (Source: MOCA)
Portrait of a Curator (In Memory of Beryl Wright), 2009
Acrylic on PVC panel
30 7/8 × 24 7/8 × 1 7/8 in
Related Posts
Online Anniversary Show, Drawing in Quarantine
One year ago in March, to protect our students and teachers from a new coronavirus, the Seattle Artist League moved our classes online. The virus was declared a national emergency, and we went into quarantine. We have now been in quarantine for thirteen months. Through this year, we have met each other online to draw, …
33 Figure Drawings
[image_with_animation image_url=”10475″ alignment=”center” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] Lucy Garnett These figure drawings were made in the last couple of sessions of my 5 week Beginning Figure Drawing Class. They are drawn with confidence, style, and sensitivity. Each week we practiced a different style of drawing, and a different way of approaching the figure. One style was …
Bored at work? Read art books online!
[image_with_animation image_url=”6062″ alignment=”” animation=”None” box_shadow=”none” max_width=”100%”] The Met: 1,600 Free Art Books Online With an art historical focus, this comprehensive collection of over 1,600 full-text titles features everything from African to American art. Like traditional print editions, nearly every online art book features a table of contents and information about the author. Unlike hardcopies, however, the Met’s free online book also …
What’s the difference between a Woodcut and a Woodblock?
Take a class with SAL – anywhere! I’ve been using the words “woodblock” and “woodcut” interchangeably, but I noticed some artists use woodblock to delineate a different type of printmaking. I keep getting confused about which is which, but everyone still knows what I’m talking about. Since my own ignorance is itching at me, I …