Taking place the rabbit gap following Jack Whitten – The Artsology Weblog

I used to be having some espresso and studying the latest issue of Bookforum this morning, and one thing of their protection of “the season’s excellent artwork books” caught my eye: a quote from the late artist Jack Whitten, through which he mentioned, “The previous symbols that we had from earlier established faith, they’re not working anymore for this society. Now we have to invent new symbols.” That may be a fairly daring assertion, so it made me ask myself, who’s Jack Whitten once more?

A Google search introduced me to this video, which dragged my curiosity deeper into what this artist is all about. Even the opening visuals, of him in his painter’s coveralls, or painter’s jumpsuit, the concept making artwork is such an immersive expertise that the paint and different provides covers his complete physique, I’m prepared for extra. Then he says, “I’m not a story painter, I don’t do the concept, or the portray being the illustration of an concept … it’s all in regards to the materiality of the paint.” This obtained me pondering, as a result of in my very own portray recently, I’ve been portray extra individuals, extra moments, capturing occasions for my reminiscence, and this concept of Whitten’s artwork being in regards to the supplies, the floor, and seeing close-ups of his work, I assumed, that’s greater than sufficient, I’m very engaged together with his surfaces and his supplies. With out happening too lengthy on all of this, watch the video, after which scroll down for extra.

Watching this video, it jump-started my reminiscence, pondering that I used to be fairly certain I noticed the exhibition with a few of the works proven within the video, and certain sufficient, again within the winter of 2017, I did see his self-titled present at Hauser & Wirth, “Jack Whitten,” and it was Hauser & Wirth’s first exhibition devoted to his work. You’ll be able to see the gallery’s archive of the show on their website here, however I’ll additionally embrace a pair images that I took whereas visiting the present in March of 2017. The primary one right here under is a full view and detailed view of “Black Monolith X, Beginning of Muhammad Ali,” from 2016, from his sequence titled “Black Monolith,” which memorializes necessary black artists, writers, thinkers, and poets. I like the piece, however it brings up an attention-grabbing concept that appears like an preliminary battle: he mentioned that he doesn’t make a portray that’s an illustration of an concept, but that is an summary “portrait” of Muhammad Ali, which is in some methods his illustrated concept, or his reflection, or response to the person.

As I’m revisiting the photographs I took at that 2017 exhibition, my reminiscence is telling me that I’m certain I’ve seen different work by Jack Whitten since then, there’s one thing more-recent than nearly 6 years in the past that’s registering with me, and certain sufficient, I additionally noticed the 2020 exhibition of his work, titled “I Am The Object,” also at Hauser & Wirth. I keep in mind this present fairly effectively now, being actually drawn in to view the work up shut, to soak up the entire particulars. I don’t recall making a connection at the moment between the 2020 present and what I noticed in 2017, however I keep in mind being fairly taken by this present, and took loads of footage to get pleasure from later – equivalent to now! I can’t discover the title of this primary piece I’m sharing from that present, however I like it: from the entrance, it may be seen, maybe, as an “picture,” however the facet view positively makes it an object with a strong presence. I like the completely different colours of tiles, and the concept the brilliant purple tiles on the facet are solely on the facet, like one has to make their means across the object, the entire sides of this object, to absorb the total expertise.

I’ll embrace this subsequent set up view, additionally from the 2020 present, for example how the works aren’t all rectangular or easy “portrait or panorama” proportions however moderately true objects that department out in several instructions as if they’ve a lifetime of their very own.

So, to circle again to my title for this weblog publish, as you possibly can see, I actually did fall down a rabbit gap: from {a magazine} article to a video interview to exhibitions from 3 and 6 years in the past and the entire footage I took whereas visiting the exhibitions (many greater than what I’ve proven right here). Now that I’ve put a reputation and a way of the artist to the exhibition recollections floating round in my reminiscence, I’d positively like to check this artist some extra.

To see and be taught extra in regards to the artist Jack Whitten, check out all of the related content on the Hauser & Wirth website here.