Kerry James Marshall
March 2019—March 2020![A black painting is centered, visible through a doorway framed by gray concrete blocks.](https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/MARSk_GF_HERO_update-1722x1080.jpg)
In his mesmerizing figurative paintings, American artist Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955) explores history, identity, and the representation of Black figures. The works in this presentation—When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990; Black Painting, 2003–2006; and Untitled (Underpainting), 2018—feature myriad artistic and cultural references spanning the artist’s practice, including Italian Renaissance paintings, the civil rights movement, and rituals of the African diaspora. These speak to Marshall’s relentless pursuit to challenge—and correct—the Western art historical canon and the omission of Black figures within it.
Exhibition Preview
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Kerry James Marshall
Untitled (Underpainting), 2018
Marshall 2018Untitled (Underpainting), 2018
acrylic and collage on PVC in artist's frame
84 ¾ x 120 ¼ inches (215 x 305 cm)
© Kerry James Marshall
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz Kerry James Marshall https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MARSk_GF_Underpainting_update-1067x800.jpg -
Kerry James Marshall
Black Painting, 2003-2006
Marshall 2003Black Painting, 2003-2006
acrylic on fiberglass
72 x 108 inches (183 x 274 cm)
© Kerry James Marshall
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz Kerry James Marshall https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MARSk_GF_BlackPainting_update-1067x800.jpg -
Kerry James Marshall
When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990
Marshall 1990When Frustration Threatens Desire, 1990
acrylic and collage on canvas
80 × 72 inches (203 × 183 cm)
© Kerry James Marshall
Photo: Ron Amstutz
Ron Amstutz Kerry James Marshall https://www.glenstone.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/MARSk_GF_WhenFrustration_update-600x800.jpg