Black History Month: Kerry James Marshall
Only two more days of Black History Month… so let’s make the most of them. Let’s talk about:
Kerry James Marshall is best known for painting Black people black — no brown or gold or red skin tones, just black (with a few dark gray highlights). I first encountered him in an art docuseries. Unlike some other artists in that episode, Marshall seemed so approachable even though he was clearly accomplished. I would imagine knowing him might be like having an old friend named Al, and then finding out later that you were besties with Albert Einstein.
It occurs to me that I like Marshall’s paintings for some of the same reasons I like the work of Amy Sherald. More specifically:
The way Marshall paints Black people is meant to focus the eye on the person rather than their skin color, or whatever associations Blackness might carry for the viewer
There’s a sense of stillness and harmony in his work, a kind of visual representation of the flow state
Also, picking up the cultural references in his paintings is my favorite kind of Easter egg hunt.
Like Titus Kaphar, Marshall is a winner of the MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant; like Faith Ringgold, he has been named to the annual Time 100 List of influential people. Can’t wait to see what he does next. See you tomorrow for the final entry in my Black History Month series of inspiring artists…
