A Visit to a Museum
This weekend I’ve been to the MoCADA, the Museum of Contemporary African Diasporan Arts. It is a small space in Fort Green, but everything is brilliantly placed. Upon walking in, I was immediately impressed by the architecture. Every tchotchke, piece of jewelry, and book was placed in its time zone in the history of African art. That was just gift shop/greeting area!
After prying myself away from cute jars of liquid incense, I walked into the museum space. I was not disappointed. The artists chosen for the summer exhibit (The DNA of Culture and Civilization) were dynamic with their use of color and subject. This show, called Avant Yard, featured some amazing contempory artists. My favorites were Kip Omulade’s Soul Sista (2008), a beautiful profile portrait of a black woman featuring a brushstroke that would be the envy of an impressionist.
It is interesting to note that the artist seems to be pointing out beauty of the woman through her incredible thick hair and face, as if to emphasize her thought and spirit. Even though the canvas has space, he leaves out everything below the neck, demonstrating what he feels is important.
Jennifer Crute made the surrealistic painting featuring women inside women inside women, the chain of DNA carrying itself through women over the centuries. This large canvas work, alongside her other work that pictured two girls- one smiling and the other one in mental and physical turmoil, was a powerful piece that immediately caught my attention and held it as I studied the details.
With each work, I found myself regretful that I have never followed the African Diaspora artists before, and hope to keep in touch with their exhibits from now on.