Black History Month: vanessa german
Thanks for joining me for another look at Black artists who inspire me. Let’s talk about:
vanessa german creates a poem with installation artist Romson Bustillo. Photo credit: Lisa Myers Bulmash
Famous contemporary artists rarely bother to visit Seattle in person, but vanessa german is the exception I admire. She’s a multi-disciplinary artist (sculpture, performance, communal rituals, immersive installation, and photography) based in Pittsburgh.
Sculpture created for “vanessa german: W E” at Wa Na Wari gallery. Photo credit: Lisa Myers Bulmash
During the summer of 2021, vanessa created a brand-new work at Wa Na Wari, and then created poetry on the fly with those who came to hear her speak. These are the top things I love about her:
her combination of power and vulnerability, both in poetry and in sculpture
her assemblage sculptures are monumental, tender and childlike all at once
her “more is more” aesthetic in her color choices and the architecture of her pieces
According to Kasmin Gallery, which represents some of her work, this summer german will “unveil a new commission for the exhibition Pulling Together at the National Mall in Washington, D.C., which will explore the role of monuments in the telling of American history.” Looking forward to seeing what german creates for the other Washington.
We’ve talked about five artists so far, and there are 15 more to come. If you haven’t already, I encourage you to read the previous blog posts I’m writing for Black History Month.