Hello and welcome! It feels a bit strange to finally be committing these musings to ‘paper’ but I’m so glad you’re here and hope you h’enjoy the journey.
I’ve decided to name each newsletter/post after one of the pieces of work featured, mostly because I’m crap at coming up with non-cringey titles for things. In case you were wondering the name for the series: ‘Unbranded Reflections’, is borrowed from one of my faves Hank Willis Thomas who created a body of work with a similar title exploring the dialogue we have with advertising images once they’ve been stripped of their branding and typography. I suppose it resonated with me because I wanted my output to be liberated of expectations or any preconceived notions of what constitutes as ‘art’ and who should or shouldn’t engage with it. So here we are, I hope you find the recommendations useful :)
VISIT
This week saw the unveiling of ‘Reaching Out’, a new site-specific public artwork by artist Thomas J Price. The 9ft bronze sculpture described as a ‘black everywoman’ has been touted as the antidote to Marc Quinn’s highly controversial ‘A Surge of Power’ which appeared on the vacant Edward Colston plinth in Bristol in July.
Price has been vocal about his disdain and scepticism for the Quinn intervention contributing to opinion pieces on the subject in the Guardian and The Art Newspaper amongst others. In contrast, Reaching Out is quiet, introspective and vulnerable. The process of bronze casting often reserved for effigies is subverted and thus democratised.
“It was important to me not to have to fulfil a certain expectation, like the idea you would have to be a top athlete, or a Black Panther or a politician to be up there”
The new sculpture soon to be joined by a Larry Achiampong piece forms part of The Line, a public art trail stretching from North to South East London. More information about Reaching Out and its location can be found via the button below.
WATCH
Tipping Point is a live digital talk chaired by Mathieu Ajan (Bounce Cinema) screening on 7th August at 7pm. What makes this a must-watch is the incredible roster of panellists which includes multidisciplinary artist Zak Ové alongside artist filmmakers John Akomfrah and Jenn Nkiru. Describing them as pioneering would be an understatement, each has in their own way had an immeasurable impact on the world of visual storytelling.
Nkiru is of course still riding high off her co-directing credit on Beyoncés Black is King. Her work has featured in the last two editions of the Whitney Biennial and she has collaborated with some of the biggest names in music including Kamasi Washington and Neneh Cherry.
Zak Ové’s artistic career spans over 3 decades. The name is probably fresh in your mind because 2019 saw him curate the award-winning Get Up Stand Up Now at Somerset House, meanwhile, his installation Black and Blue: The Invisible Man and the Masque of Blackness was unveiled at the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.
John Akomfrah has exhibited globally and was a founding member of the influential Black Audio Film Collective. His 3 channel piece Four Nocturnes was included in the first ever Ghana Pavilion at the 58th Venice Biennale last year.
This talk is part of a wider series of summer film screenings rediscovering the work of Black British directors hosted by The Peninsulist Presents which I’ve had the total pleasure of working on this summer. It will be followed by a screening of Akomfrah’s Goldie: When Saturn Returnz and The Stuart Hall Project. Free tickets are available via the link below.
SIGN
TfL recently unveiled plans to scrap free travel for under 18s in London under the guise of managing overcrowding on public transport once schools reopen. The move which will reportedly cost £16million to implement will disproportionately affect families already experiencing financial hardship during a time when foodbank use is at a record high.
Growing up as a council estate kid it was a relief to know that paying out for essential journeys to school was something my parents did not have to worry about and so I believe it’s our collective responsibility to ensure that this generation is afforded the same basic right.
Poet, writer and activist Kai Isaiah Jamal recently recorded The Red Haven, a nostalgia-filled love letter dedicated to the humble bus journey set against a backdrop of adolescent observations, musings and angst. Though set in London the wider themes will, I’m sure, resonate with anyone who recognises just how formative and integral those fleeting moments between school and home were. To sign the petition click the button below or better still if you have time write to your local MP. To watch the recital of The Red Haven click the post.
Magda xxx