Reflection: Kerry James Marshall's Mastry

Months after the dynamic exhibit at the Met Breuer, I'm still reflecting on Kerry James Marshall's exhibit, Mastry. 

I was most struck by Who is An Artist? What Does An Artist Look Like? Although art in all form has artists from diverse backgrounds, there are still limited perceptions of who can be an artist. But why? It's partially due to access to arts and it's also due to representation. The breathtaking portraits in this section of the exhibit show artists of color - men and women - painting their self-portraits; telling their own story as an artist. One of the truest things about art is that it can reflect our world that only few people may know about and we can create the worlds that we wish to see.

Currently Reading... (Following the Sphinx)

New York Magazine's Art & Design issue is out featuring the Kara Walker. The article addresses what I assume is what many creatives who accomplish a hugely successful work might struggle with - What's next? For Ms. Walker, it's her latest project following the extremely inspired and thought-provoking A Subtlety (or the Marvelous Sugar Baby an Homage to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes from the cane fields to the Kitchens of the New World on the Occasion of the demolition of the Domino Sugar Refining Plant). 

SIDE NOTE: The creative geek in me truly appreciates her titles and see them more as short poems whose length often compliments the scale and complexity of her work.

Descriptions of her studio, her love of Andy Warhol & Charles Schultz's work and surprisingly strong criticism from fellow artists about her choice of subject matter makes me more appreciative of her boldness and gave me a different perspective on her work that I've experienced first-hand at the Whitney, Brooklyn Museum & the former Domino Sugar Factory.

I've been feeling creatively re-energized and curious compiling articles, books, exhibits and talks to take in and learn from. Ms. Walker's story has encouraged me to take a step towards my sphinx and beyond.