January 13–April 8, 2012
Willie Cole, American, born 1955; Man Spirit Mask, 1999; photo etching, silkscreen, and woodcut, with embossing, scorching, and hand-coloring with lemon juice; sheet (a): 38 1/4 x 26 5/8 in., sheet (b): 39 3/8 x 26 7/8 in, sheet (c) 39 5/16 x 26 5/8 in.; Saint Louis Art Museum, Funds given by Marcia Jeanne Hart in honor of Beth Adams Louis 46:2001a-c © Willie Cole
This exhibition celebrates the work of six mid-career African American artists who knit together personal iconography with broader spiritual and historical themes. From the bold graphic imagery of Kara Walker and Willie Cole, to the delicately drawn shapes of Ellen Gallagher, and intimate notations of Renée Stout, these artists present the diversity and complexity of the African American experience. Positioning themselves at the crossroads, they explore race and identity through the intersections of their American and global roots.
At the Crossroads: Exploring Black Identity in Contemporary Art will be on view in Gallery 209 from January 13 through April 8, 2012.
