ABOUT THE ARTIST
Black received an MFA in Painting and Sculpture in 2001 from the University of Iowa, and has been awarded several prestigious residencies around the country; Bemis Center for Contemporary Arts, McColl Center for the Arts, Lawndale Arts Center, and the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. Her work has been profiled in Art Papers, Art in America, New American Paintings, The Washington, and The Advocate.
Dawn Black’s award winning thesis, Conceal Project, was recently on view at The Columbus Museum in Georgia, (2012), followed by subsequent traveling exhibitions with the Museum of Paper and Watermark in Fabriano, Italy (2013); Fundacion Pedro Cano, Blanca, Spain (2012); Weatherspoon Museum, Greenboro, North Carolina (2013); and the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans, LA (2013).
ABOUT THE WORK
Black work examines the practice of masquerade and its role in relation to conceptions of identity and power. The artist depicts people from various sources, societies and time periods in gouache, watercolor, and ink on paper, and is particularly interested in the various permutations of social practices that engender power hierarchies. Black compositions are influenced by eastern perspective, theatre, and mythmaking in general.
“I find universal myths compelling because they bring understanding to viewers unfamiliar with other cultural norms. My work does not illustrate any specific myth but seeks to provoke critical thought regarding current attitudes within the terms of cautionary tales.” – Dawn Black, statement
Incitements of Folly takes a candid look at the personifications of “folly” within the broader context of Black’s primary themes: dynamics and imbalances of power; the constructs of identity and self awareness; and, depictions of the socially absurd.
Artist Reception: Saturday, April 4, 3 – 5 PM
Dawn Black is represented by CYNTHIA-REEVES.
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