Having an exhibit by an African-American artist at this time of year might seem like a cynical tie-in to Black History Month, itself a cynical marketing ploy to begin with. However, the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth has a distinguished history of showing work by black artists, including some up-and-comers like Kehinde Wiley before he was famous. This week, their new Focus exhibit features Nina Chanel Abney, the 35-year-old Chicago native who had her first solo museum show (at Duke University) only last year.
At first glance, her large paintings may well remind you of the jammed-together color planes and vibrant cityscapes of Stuart Davis. However, her artworks are defiantly of the present moment, referencing Black Lives Matter, police brutality, celebrity culture, and the objectification of women, often with numbers, questions marks, or the letter “X” scrawled across the surfaces of her tableaux. The mix of colorful surfaces and social consciousness makes this a show whose viewpoint is starkly different from those of most other museum shows.
Focus runs Sat thru Mar 18 at the Modern Art Museum of Fort Worth, 3200 Darnell St, FW. Admission is $4-10. Call 817-738-9215.
