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Witnessing Humanity: The Art of John Wilson

Metropolitan Museum of Art
Sep 20 - Feb 08 | Sat | $30
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For over six decades, the American artist John Wilson (1922–2015) made powerful and poignant works that reflected his life as a Black American artist and his ongoing quest for racial, social, and economic justice. While still a teenager, Wilson was struck by the absence of positive representations of Black Americans and their experiences in both museums and popular culture.

Working in a figurative style, he sought to correct this omission and create art in a variety of mediums and techniques that centered the humanity and experiences of Black Americans. Wilson’s subjects were diverse and include depictions of racial prejudice, economic inequality, fascism, the physical toll of labor, the writings of Richard Wright, and intimate images of family, friends, and community, with a particular focus on fatherhood. In both finely rendered portraits and more abstracted images of anonymous people, Wilson portrayed the emotion, dignity, and inner life of his subjects. Despite the range and importance of his art and the continuing relevance of themes he explored, Wilson’s work has not received the recognition it deserves.

Featuring approximately 100 works in a variety of mediums as well as previously unavailable archival material, this exhibition will show the humanity, scope, and power of Wilson’s art over the course of his career. The exhibition begins with work he made while in art school in Boston in which he depicted the horrors of Nazi Germany and American racial violence as well as tender images of his family life. It continues through his time in Paris, Mexico City, and New York City, highlighting his goal to create a more democratic art, and concludes with his sculptures and celebrated depictions of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., such as the maquette for the sculpture at the U.S. Capitol. The exhibition will include paintings, prints, drawings, and sculpture, as well as examples of Wilson’s work as an illustrator for children’s books.

Venue: Metropolitan Museum of Art

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