2023 Issue 5 Sept/Oct Focus - Mid-South Magazine

Following the Early
American and Modern
Art galleries is the
Contemporary Art gallery.
While the previous
galleries were more-or-less
organized chronologically,
the contemporary gallery
arranged work by theme.
As soon as I entered the
gallery, I was greeted by
Beeple’s HUMAN ONE
sculpture. The work is a
technologically advanced,
spinning mechanism
that portrays a distorted
astronaut traversing an
electric, surreal, and everchanging
landscape.
The work commands full
attention of the room with
its intense light and color.
Opposite HUMAN ONE
are two paintings by Mark
Rothko and Lee Krasner,
respectively. Rothko and
Krasner were members of
the Abstract Expressionist
movement of the 1940s and
50s, a period of painting
known for grandeur, but
also existentialism caused
from the upheavals of
World War II. In post-World
War II America, these
two paintings would have
demanded the same level
of investigation as Beeple’s
HUMAN ONE. By situating
examples of contemporary
work from opposite ends
of the timeline, Crystal
Bridges emphasized how
rapid documentation of
culture has shifted with
the introduction of new
technologies. I sat with
Lorraine O’Grady’s Untitled
(Mlle Bourgeoise Noire) for
a long while. The series of
photographs documented
O’Gradys performance work
in which she entered art
institutions, unannounced,
dressed as her fictional
pageant queer persona
Mademoiselle Bourgeoise
Noire (Miss Black Middle-
Class). By invading art
spaces adorned in a dress
and cape constructed of
180 pairs of white gloves
and lashing herself with
a whip as she recited
poems, O’Grady gave
the institutions a “piece
of her mind” and insisted
on acknowledging
the exclusion of
underrepresented
communities and
internalized oppression. 3
Investigating the
documentation of
O’Grady’s performance
art as individual photos
that capture a duration of
time gave me perspective
on how witnessing a live
event can hold the same
integrity as how it is seen
post-performance. Sitting
with this piece put me
in a prime headspace
for my nighttime event,
Matty Davis’ Die No Die
(Arkansas) hosted at The
Momentary. As I wrapped
up my adventure in the
contemporary art gallery,
I recognized the Memphis
native Mae Aur had a work
in the gallery. Seeing their
work, The Guardeners, in the
Crystal Bridges permanent
collection made me elated
with respect and pride for
my lovely art community
back home in Memphis.
The Momentary is an
interdisciplinary art space
focusing on music, visual
art, performance art,
culinary art, and film. Matty
Davis’ performance Die No
Die included previously
mailed zines functioning
as maps, an 800 meter
procession, lighting effects,
choreography, and spoken
word. While witnessing the
work, I had the response
of most performance art
viewers, “What did I just
see, and why did it make
so much sense?” As a
performance artist myself
with limited access to
viewing live performance
art, it was an interesting
opportunity to witness
such an event in a large
institution. I returned to the
Momentary the following
day to view the galleries.
Exhibitions by Dave Cole,
Firelei Báez, Will Rawls,
Yvette Mayorga–an artistin-residence–and
Rumwolf
were on view. All of the
galleries shared common
threads: historical context,
exploration of identity,
and specific art mediums
displayed as installation.
Firelei Báez’s installation
To Breathe Full and Free:
A Declaration, A Revisioning,
A Correction,
utilized shadowplay and
set construction to explore
various cultural narratives.
While the majority of
the exhibition comprised
grand sculpture amplifying
the gallery space, Báez
considered all of her work
to belong to “the illusionistic
realm of painting.”
Mayorga’s exhibition
contained both sculptures
and paintings; however, the
treatment of the gallery
space created synergy
between the mediums.
Checkered patterns were
laid in complementary
sections. Towards the far
end of the gallery, the
floor became checkered
carpet. The moment my
feet felt the softness of
the ground, I completely
melted into the work. I
was living in Mayorga’s
world. The treatment of
the gallery space became
integral to her work, and the
other artists embraced this
method too.
In addition to visual
art viewing, I indulged
in the culinary arts. The
Momentary houses an
Onyx Coffee Lab, though
it was temporarily closed
during my trip. Luckily, I was
able to visit another Onyx
location down the street
and had the best coffee of
my life. I also paid a quick
visit to 21c Museum Hotel
to view their expansive
contemporary art collection
and enjoy a cocktail at The
Hive. I was particularly
excited to try “The Garden,”
a vodka drink inspired by
Portia Munson’s current
installation, The Garden
(1996-2019) which was on
view in the hotel’s lobby.
A significant part of
my personal agenda is
to uplift Southern artists.
We are underrepresented
in the “Capital A” art
world. Having a thriving
art scene only 5 hours
from home fosters hope
that my community can
take ownership in the
art world without living
in New York, Chicago,
or Los Angeles. Crystal
Bridges, The Momentary,
and 21c inspire a crossdisciplinary
art scene
despite residing outside
of a major metropolitan
area. Bentonville, Arkansas
has plenty to offer and
contribute to the larger
conversation of artistic
cultural documentation.
Take time to visit, but, more
importantly, take time to
witness. There are moments
in the galleries where time
seems to stand still.
REFERENCES
1. Infinity Mirrored Room- My Heart
is Dancing into the Universe by
Yayoi Kusama can also been seen
in Crystal Bridges’ contemporary
art gallery
2. Sappho is from the island of
Lesbos, hence the term “lesbian.”
3. Object label for Untitled by
Lorraine O’Grady. At the Crystal
Bridges Art Museum, Bentonville,
Arkansas. Seen on: August 5, 2023.
26 Go! | Sept+Oct 2023 | focuslgbt.com