Titus Kaphar. The Jerome Project (my loss), 2014. Oil, gold leaf and tar on wood panel. Diptych Approximately 6 feet x 5 feet each panel. ©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar appropriates the visual language of American and European history painting and in doing so, takes the Eurocentric view of world history to task while illuminating injustice. The New York-based artist currently has two solo shows on view at Jack Shainman Gallery’s separate locations in Manhattan. His dual exhibition touches upon the human rights abuses of the colonial era as well as the current fight for racial equality in the US. Haunting yet visually alluring, Kaphar’s work tells stories of the African diaspora through imagery with a visceral, emotional impact.
The first part of the exhibition, “Drawing the Blinds,” presents a series of altered portraits of European nobility. Kaphar shreds canvases, obscures figures, and peels away layers to reveal hidden images. The artist couples his depictions of white aristocracy with portraits of black subjects in servile positions. His depictions of noblemen, who look like the subjects of portraits we’d unquestioningly encounter in a museum, become sinister when Kaphar juxtaposes them with evidence of the brutal exploitation that enabled such opulence to exist.
The second part of Kaphar’s show, “Asphalt and Chalk,” looks at contemporary issues of racial inequality — the aftermath of the slave trade he examines in “Drawing the Blinds.” “Asphalt and Chalk” features portraits of contemporary black men that are also altered, smudged, or erased. In distorting his otherwise realist paintings and drawings, Kaphar poses the questions of who controls the way history is told and whom do the mainstream narratives benefit. The title “Asphalt and Chalk” is especially poignant. It speaks of dead bodies lying on the ground and, coupled with Kaphar’s portraits of people with their hands up in the air, calls to mind issues of racial profiling and violence that were recently topics of national protests. One piece titled 1968/2014 draws a parallel between the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s and today’s uprising.
As systemic inequality receives widespread attention, Kaphar’s “Drawing the Blinds” and “Asphalt and Chalk” are particularly timely. His latest work prompts viewers to reflect on a legacy of racism and exploitation that set the stage for racial discrimination today. In holding a mirror up to society, he inspires us to think about what we can do to create positive change going forward.
“Asphalt and Chalk” series:
Titus Kaphar with his work
Titus Kaphar. Traveler, 2014. Oil on canvas. 48 x 36 inches
. ©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. The Jerome Project (Asphalt and Chalk) I, 2014
. Approximate dimensions: 51 x 36 inches.
©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. The Jerome Project (Asphalt and Chalk) IV, 2014. Approximate dimensions: 51 x 36 inches.
©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. Yet Another Fight for Remembrance, 2014. Oil on canvas. 60 x 48 inches. ©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. 1968/2014, 2014. Oil on panel. Diptych: two panels 16 x 20 inches each. ©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
“Drawing the Blinds” series:
Titus Kaphar. Gift of Shrouded Descent, 2014. Mixed media on canvas. 58 x 43 x 2 3/4 inches.
©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. Stripes, 2014. Oil on canvas and nails. 59 1/2 x 51 x 1 1/2 inches.
©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. Behind the Myth of Benevolence, 2014. Oil on canvas. 59 x 34 x 6 inches
©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.
Titus Kaphar. Columbus Day Painting, 2014. Oil and mixed media on canvas. ©Titus Kaphar. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.