A new exhibition celebrates a century of southern Black art and music
The First Art Newspaper on the Net    Established in 1996 Thursday, November 14, 2024


A new exhibition celebrates a century of southern Black art and music
Nadine Robinson, Coronation Theme: Organon, 2008. Speakers, sound system, and mixed media, 175 x 18 1/2 x 174 in. High Museum of Art, Atlanta, given by John F. Wieland, Jr. in memory of Marion Hill. Image credit: © Nadine Robinson.



BENTONVILLE, ARK.- A celebration of 100 years of southern Black culture comes to Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art with The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse, on view March 12 through July 25. Hailed as a “tour de force” by the LA Times, The Dirty South uses visual art, material objects, sound and music to explore how Black culture, across time and geography, has shaped and influenced the South and US contemporary culture at large.

Almost 30 years ago, André 3000 of the Atlanta-based duo OutKast, proclaimed, “The South got something to say.” The Dirty South makes clear that the conversation is alive and well. The multidisciplinary exhibition organized by the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts spotlights the southern landscape through its musical heritage, spiritual complexity, and regional swagger. A mix of sculpture, paintings, works on paper, assemblage, textiles, music and ephemera provokes a deeper understanding of the African American South and its undeniable imprint on the history of American art. Many works are large and immersive.

“At its core, this exhibition is a celebration of the deeply intertwined relationship of art and music in southern Black culture,” said Alejo Benedetti, associate curator, contemporary art at Crystal Bridges and in-house curator of The Dirty South. “The American South is a complicated region with a painful past, and the exhibition does not shy away from that history. But equally important is that these works foreground the South as a site of radical potential, pride, and continuing influence far beyond its geographic borders.”

The subtitle, Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse, speaks to the various visual and auditory elements encountered throughout the show. An intergenerational group of visual artists – including Beverly Buchanan, Alma Thomas, Bethany Collins, Minnie Evans, Kara Walker, Bill Traylor, Rita Mae Pettway, Sanford Biggers, Nari Ward, Deborah Roberts, Nick Cave, Kerry James Marshall, Elizabeth Catlett, Paul Stephen Benjamin, Fahamu Pecou, and many more – are placed in dialogue with one another, weaving academically trained artists with “intuitive intellectuals,” or folk artists.

In addition to visual art, The Dirty South explores the evolution of various music genres over the past century and how they are connected. The sonic impulse, comprised of sound and music, is present across numerous musical genres including spirituals and gospel music, jazz, rhythm and blues, soul and funk, and the rise of southern hip-hop—a genre that gave new meaning to the term “dirty South.” Music, such as a looped recording of songs by Sister Gertrude Morgan, guides visitors through this exhibition in a way rarely experienced in an art museum.

The material culture of the dirty South is represented through various textiles, fabrics, and objects prevalent in southern Black culture – including a SLAB (Slow, Loud, And Bangin’) car in the museum’s south lobby, customized for this exhibition by New Orleans artist Richard FIEND Jones, a.k.a. International Jones. Quilt patterns prominent in Black quilting techniques (such as “Flying Geese”) make an appearance, both as a textile and as an influence for other mediums. The evolution of musical forms in materiality emerges through a colossal Cabinet of Wonders, featuring an array of costumes, instruments, and accessories from music history by artists such as Bo Diddley, James Brown, Sun Ra, and CeeLo Green.

Throughout The Dirty South, visual, material, and sonic components blend together to advance three major themes: Landscape, presenting the transformation of the southern region from a site of trauma and labor to a wellspring of life; Sinners and Saints, exploring religion, spirituality and belief systems; and Black Corporality, illustrating the Black body as a repository of tradition and knowledge.

To enhance the experience of the exhibition at Crystal Bridges visitors can access The Music of the South, six sampler playlists that highlight music from prominent cities across the southern United States: Atlanta, Hampton Roads, Va.; Houston, Memphis, Miami and New Orleans. A spotlight on material culture unique to Crystal Bridges invites visitors to interact with touch tables highlighting four key artworks.

A video playing in exhibition entrance features Northwest Arkansas community members reflecting on what the “dirty South” means to them. The personal experiences of Arkansans illuminate the various ways Black culture has impacted and shaped Arkansas’ identity.

To offer a fully immersive experience around the exhibition, July 15-17 Crystal Bridges will host a multi-day celebration of The Dirty South bringing together hip-hop artists, poets, scholars, and curators to express and reflect on the history and influences behind a century of Black culture. Live concerts over the weekend will feature performances by celebrated artists (to be announced) at both the Momentary and Crystal Bridges.










Today's News

April 25, 2022

Toomey & Co. Auctioneers to offer 'The Ira Simon Collection' on April 27

Christie's Hong Kong announces Magnificent Jewels Spring auction

Christie's announces "Celestial Brilliance: The Wang Xing Lou Collection of Imperial Qing Dynasty Porcelain"

Sotheby's presents its first dedicated Nike Skateboarding Auction

The Menil Collection presents Joseph E. Yoakum: What I Saw at the Menil Drawing Institute

Lifesaving medal awarded to member of staff on the ill-fated Titanic to be sold at auction

'Bestowing Beauty: Masterpieces from Persian Lands' explores rich heritage and enduring beauty of Persian art

These parties start with a blank canvas (and a little cannabis)

Liz Sterling and Jonathan Boos announce inaugural exhibition in shared gallery space at 980 Madison

Solo exhibition by prize recipient Tomashi Jackson opens at the Neuberger Museum of Art

Australia reveals its presentation in Venice for the Biennale Arte 2022

'Island People: Portraits and Stories from Nantucket' opens at the Nantucket Historical Association

M+ presents Angela Su's 'Arise, Hong Kong in Venice' as a collateral event of the 59th Venice Biennale

Richmond Art Gallery challenges the nature of myth-making in Erdem Taşdelen's A Minaret for the General's Wife

Pete McKee tackles how we live and communicate today with brand new exhibition

Parasol unit opens a group exhibition of works by eleven contemporary visual artists

The playwright making a farce of the patriarchy

Risking boos, the Met Opera puts present-day America onstage

Private collection from the townhouse of tastemaker Charles Plante to go to auction

Cummer Museum announces new Director of Gardens

A new exhibition celebrates a century of southern Black art and music

CCA Tel Aviv-Yafo exhibits Rona Yefman's new body of work

Window on the Marsh celebrates paintings, photographs capturing Great Marsh's distinct beauty

The Republic of Uzbekistan presents Dixit Algorizmi: The Garden of Knowledge at La Biennale

How to Run a Fleet Management Business?

Find out more about how you can profit from a PaydayNow Title Loan which provides quick cash without any credit check.

If you have bad credit, can you still qualify for a personal loan with GAD Capital?

It is possible that a Bridge Payday Instalment Loan will help you improve your credit rating.

Signs Your Degree Is Right For You

Funeral Homes: What Can They Do for You?




Museums, Exhibits, Artists, Milestones, Digital Art, Architecture, Photography,
Photographers, Special Photos, Special Reports, Featured Stories, Auctions, Art Fairs,
Anecdotes, Art Quiz, Education, Mythology, 3D Images, Last Week, .

 



Founder:
Ignacio Villarreal
(1941 - 2019)
Editor & Publisher: Jose Villarreal
Art Director: Juan José Sepúlveda Ramírez
Writer: Ofelia Zurbia Betancourt

Attorneys
Truck Accident Attorneys
Accident Attorneys
Holistic Dentist
Abogado de accidentes
สล็อต
สล็อตเว็บตรง

Royalville Communications, Inc
produces:

ignaciovillarreal.org juncodelavega.com facundocabral-elfinal.org
Founder's Site. Hommage
to a Mexican poet.
Hommage
       

The First Art Newspaper on the Net. The Best Versions Of Ave Maria Song Junco de la Vega Site Ignacio Villarreal Site Parroquia Natividad del Señor
Tell a Friend
Dear User, please complete the form below in order to recommend the Artdaily newsletter to someone you know.
Please complete all fields marked *.
Sending Mail
Sending Successful