Kara Walker. The Pool Party of Sardanapalus (after Delacroix, Kienholz), 2017. Sumi ink and collage on paper, from a forthcoming solo exhibition in September. Courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York.
Kara Walker’s artist statement for her upcoming solo exhibition at Sikkema Jenkins & Co. made the news after its release last week by the gallery. She begins, “I don’t really feel the need to write a statement about a painting show,” continuing, “I am tired, tired of standing up, being counted, tired of ‘having a voice’ or worse ‘being a role model.'” The New York Times reported that the statement “poured out” after Walker witnessed last week’s protests in Charlottesville, and her frustrations were also featured in Vulture, Jezebel, and Quartz.
Also this week:
- On Friday Amazon Studios released the first trailer for Ai Weiwei’s forthcoming documentary on the refugee crisis, Human Flow.
- T Magazine visited Cai Guo-Qiang’s country home, designed by his friend and architect Frank Gehry, for a feature in Sunday’s edition.
- And finally, Season 1 artist Pepón Osorio was announced as the winner of this year’s Distinguished Arts Award, given as part of Pennsylvania’s 2017 Governors Awards for the Arts.
Events & exhibitions
New York City
- This is the last week to see Alessandro Berni Gallery’s City Bites III, featuring work by New York Close Up artist Mary Mattingly. The group exhibition closes tomorrow August 22.
Water Mill, NY
- Thursday, August 24, 5pm—Dia director Jessica Morgan will be speaking with artists Mary Heilmann and Laura Owens at the Parrish Art Museum as part of the DiaTalks series, in conjunction with Heilmann’s exhibition Painting Pictures, on view at the Dan Flavin Art Institute. Tickets are $12.
Catskill, NY
- Kiki Smith recently opened a new solo exhibition at the Thomas Cole National Historic Site. For KIKI SMITH / From The Creek, the artist created a multidisciplinary exhibition inside and outside of the 200-year old home of artist Thomas Cole. On view through October 29.
San Jose
- On Friday the San José Museum of Art is opening a new exhibition entitled This Is Not a Selfie: Photographic Self-Portraits from the Audrey and Sydney Irmas Collection. On view through January 14, 2018 and organized by LACMA, the show includes works by Robert Mapplethorpe, Catherine Opie, Cindy Sherman, Alfred Stieglitz, and Andy Warhol among others.
Claremont, CA
- The Getty Foundation is opening a new exhibition on Saturday featuring the photographs of Graciela Iturbide. Revolution and Ritual: The Photographs of Sara Castrejón, Graciela Iturbide and Tatiana Parcero will be on view at Scripps College’s Williamson Gallery through January 7, 2018.
London
- Carrie Mae Weems’s From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried, a series of photographs taken between 1995 and 1996, is on view at the Tate Modern’s Boiler House as a part of the museum’s Artist and Society collection.
It’s impossible to include all the incredible exhibitions and art events happening this week in a single post. If there’s something you feel should have been included in today’s roundup, leave a comment below!