In his exhibition at the Hunter Museum of American Art, Noel W. Anderson attempts to weave a new narrative in the African-American experience, particularly the evolution of black male identity.
His focus is clear in the name of the show, “Blak Origin Moment.”
All three words are symbolic for Anderson, but the appropriated spelling of “black” is particularly notable. As the exhibition guide explains: “Blak redefines – and reclaims – the word ‘black,’ which has been historically used by the dominant culture as a disempowering term. ‘Blak’ can be applied in new, more inclusive ways, reflective of its meaning.”
The exhibition, which continues through Jan. 12, includes a variety of recent works by Anderson, from erased Ebony magazine pages to woven jacquard tapestries. Anderson often uses textile as a medium. Using found imagery from television, magazines and other media and archives, he manipulates and distorts the original pictures, then weaves them into his signature tapestries.
The works are made all the more compelling by the deep and double meanings associated with his methods and themes.