Kerry James Marshall

March 2019—March 2020
A black painting is centered, visible through a doorway framed by gray concrete blocks.

In his mesmerizing figurative paintings, American artist Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955) explores history and identity, among other subjects pertaining to the African-American experience. The works in this installation—When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990; Black Painting, 2003–2006; and Untitled (Underpainting), 2018—span the artist’s nearly forty-year career. Included in Marshall’s pantheon of artistic and cultural references are Italian Renaissance paintings, the 1960s Civil Rights movement, and African Diaspora rituals. These speak to his relentless pursuit to challenge—and correct—the art historical canon and the underrepresentation of African-Americans within it. This marks the first installation of works by the artist at Glenstone.

Exhibition Preview

    • Untitled (Underpainting)
      Kerry James Marshall
      Untitled (Underpainting), 2018
      Marshall 2018
    • Black Painting
      Kerry James Marshall
      Black Painting, 2003-2006
      On Loan
      Going Dark: The Contemporary Figure at the Edge of Visibility
      Guggenheim Museum
      New York, NY
      Marshall 2003
    • When Frustration Threatens Desire
      Kerry James Marshall
      When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990
      Marshall 1990