Its feels like spring has finally arrived this weekend and I spent a good bit of it outside exploring, spending time with friends and enjoying some time away from the computer. Its quite remarkable how a switch in the weather can re-energize you.
Its been a while since I've been over to the Brooklyn Museum but I went on Sunday to specifically see Kehinde Wiley's: A New Republic. If you haven't seen his work, you need go. Considering all that has been going on recently, I haven't stopped thinking about it. His work is remarkably relevant and extremely powerful. The portraits are enormous in size and equally as powerful are the embedded layers of meaning, vibrant colors, patterns and first and foremost the beautiful faces. I love that his source inspiration are people from everyday life, put in heroic poses, and reminiscent of historic or religious subjects painted by the old European masters.
There were so many beautiful pieces but I wanted to make special note of :
The White Slave, 2010. India and Sri lanka
Randerson Romualdo Cordeiro, 2008 Brazil
Here is a small beautiful patterned detail found in his An Economy of Grace series Judith and Holofernes, 2012.
Go see his work at the Brooklyn Museum if you can. http://www.brooklynmuseum.org
KEHINDE WILEY, AN ECONOMY OF GRACE
JUDITH AND HOLOFERNES, 2012