Kehinde Wiley “Black Light” Exhibition
by Eugene Kan, August 6, 2009
With a unique style and aesthetic, Kehinde Wiley has become well-known for his stunning paintings. Placing personalities in unfamiliar and unconventional settings, this ultimately creates a great juxtaposition in his work. An upcoming show at the Deitch Projects titled Black Light will take place in early September with more information seen below.
Deitch Projects is pleased to present Black Light, an exhibition of photographs by Kehinde Wiley that thrusts the black male image, captured by means of light manipulation and digital technology, into focus. This shuffle of Wiley’s artistic process reveals an integral component of his studio practice rarely seen while remaining, uniquely, Kehinde Wiley portraiture.
Enlisting the technical tenor of Hype Williams’ hip-hop videos from the 90’s, Wiley saturates his consummately styled subjects of Fulton Street Mall pedigree— caps flipped backward, wearing gear of New York legend— in “super rapturous light”. To transcendental and beatific effect, such illumination proffers a new measure of Wiley’s technical abilities, so that the medium of photography propels each figure to the point before paint consumes canvas— the moment when flesh, at its three dimensional, truth-telling, reveals scars long ago enacted. Browned fingernails, questioning red-glazed eyes and voluptuously glossed, cigarette-charred lips heighten what, for some, is no longer visible: a vulnerable microcosm of our metropolis— a black light. Through the 17 photographs on display, Wiley produces an intimate study of embattled psychologies whose adherents are at once flawed and majestic, canonized and misunderstood.
The exhibition Black Light will be accompanied by, Black Light, a full-color book published by Powerhouse and will be available at Deitch Projects
That’s a photo/print with the painting added ontop (Floral) his paintings are on his website. His paintings are still really good.
YO, IS THIS DUDE EVER GONNA PAINT SOMETHING DIFFERENT!!!?????
although many of wileys pieces are outstanding, ive seen a few in the bk museum, he does not paint his own anymore, theyre done in a factory andy warhol style
not a photo. dudes skills are BEYOND.
If you know anything about Kehinde…it’s not. He’s an amazing painter.
The guy is so amazing
Great Work! I’m also into Painting, Photography and Computer Digital Art even though I’m currently a design engineer. Its great to see great black designers! The work is ridiculous!
Never seen nothing like it. Thanks for posting this article, Just gave me more inspiration.
i was wondering whether or not this was a photograph…it is…