Hunter Museum of American Art is hosting a reception Thursday, Oct. 10, to open a solo exhibition of work by Noel W. Anderson, an artist who explores, often through the medium of textiles, the way in which the media portrays and society perceives the black male identity.
The reception will begin at 6 p.m. and will include a presentation by the artist.
The exhibition, "Blak Origin Moment," looks at a variety of recent works by Anderson, from his erased Ebony magazine pages to his woven jacquard tapestries. "Blak Origin Moment" will be on view beginning Friday, Oct. 11, through Jan. 12, 2020.
Anderson collects found imagery from various media, including television and magazines, then adds, subtracts, manipulates and distorts the original pictures, which are then woven into tapestries.
Afterward, Anderson reworks each tapestry, distressing, dyeing and sometimes dissolving the image until it is only partially recognizable. The artist's repeated handling and reworking of the images creates a rich visual encounter while provoking introspection as the viewer explores images that have been designed, woven and distorted, much like the experience of someone who is marginalized, violated or made an outsider.
Anderson's work speaks to the viewer on many levels as it reflects the disproportionate representation of black men as criminals or victims of violence rather than as community leaders or role models.
A native of Louisville, Kentucky, Anderson is an assistant professor at NYU's Art and Art Professions Department in print media. He was recently included in the Studio Museum of Harlem's exhibition "Speaking of People: Ebony, Jet and Contemporary Art," which included an internationally published book.
He held an appointment as a visiting lecturer at Vanderbilt University, and was also a visiting artist and lecturer at the Ecole Nationale Superieure des Arts Decoratifs in Paris, France.