A Summary of June
How've you been?
Hi Everyone,
How’s your June been? Eventful? Did you enjoy your Juneteenth? I actually published an interview with gallerist Onyedika Chuke; check it out. Are we finally enjoying summer? Did you make it out to any barbeques? Will you be going to any today? Sorry for the sudden barrage of questions; it’s been such a long time!
It’s been so hot lately. It almost almost kept me indoors. Did you know New York is now classified as a humid subtropical climate? It has been that way since 2020, but I think we were all too preoccupied that year to notice. Apparently, that now raises issues of infrastructure since the city wasn’t built for it. Scary Stuff. Let’s get into the art.
Here’s all the exhibitions & events I was able to attend:
Exhibitions:
Jack Shainman
MET
Guggenheim
Events:
It’s a bit difficult to highlight this list, due to it being more extensive than our pervious outings. Outside of the ones I highlight, I recommend everyone seeing Rashid Johnson: A Poem for Deep Thinkers and Renée Stout, Truth-telling at Marc Straus.
The shows that stood out to me last month were: Toyin Ojih Odutola, Ilé Oriaku at Jack Shainman & Sargent and Paris at the MET.
Toyin Ojih Odutola, Ilé Oriaku
Toyin Ojih Odutola's (b.1985) Ilé Oriaku is currently on view at Jack Shainman. This is Odutola's seventh solo exhibition with the gallery. The artist is from Ile-Ife, Nigeria, and is currently based in NYC.
The work is visually deceptive; it looks identical to a painting, but upon closer inspection, we can see the distinct mark-making of materials, including pastel, charcoal, graphite, and colored pencils. Odutola's work embodies a connection to the beyond, similar to seeing past 'the veil.' Her figures confuse the senses in terms of environment, gender, size, and expression. Protagonists in the works, such as the images above, become visually obstructed by a change in 'material,' causing their images to appear warped behind the artist's rendering of textured glass. Leaving viewers with an incomplete sum of their person.
The figures in the work above disregard the rules of perspective and gravity. One floats behind the figure in the forefront, and the other is enlarged. This disregard for the laws of physics is an intentional distortion intended to introduce viewers to a space beyond reality. Where the spiritual and material worlds co-mingle within a 'Mbari' house.
The Mbari house is a sacred space central to the traditions of Nigerian Owerri Igbo; members of the community and deities are honored here. Odutola's late grandmother and uncle, who belonged to the Igbo and Yoruba ethnic groups, are honored within this space.
As stated in the press release:
'Ilé' means 'house,' 'building,' or 'home' in Yoruba, while 'Oriaku' is her grandmother's Igbo name. So named for her departed family members, this Mbari house functions as a dramatic stage for Ojih Odutola's figures, where they often seem caught in between poses or right before or after an exchange while also providing a space of spiritual and cultural communion with her ancestors.
This exhibition is a requiem. It honors family members who have passed away and culture, offering the audience a place to watch in awe as Odutola transforms the Jack Shainman Gallery into a space to mourn, reflect, and celebrate her ancestors' lives and cultural legacies.
This exhibition is on view from May 6 to July 18, 2025.
Sargent and Paris
Please allow me to take a portion of this summary to sing praises for John Singer Sargent. As someone who was traditionally trained at an atelier, the craftsmanship, skill, and talent Sargent displays just scratches a good part of my brain. For those unfamiliar with the artist, John Singer Sargent (January 12, 1856 – April 15, 1925) was an American expatriate artist considered the leading portrait painter of his generation. Sargent was born in Florence to American parents. He was trained in Paris and then moved to London, where he spent most of his life in Europe.
You may be familiar with the famous work ' Portrait of Madame X,' which is featured in this exhibition (I've included a picture below). This painting is a milestone in art history. It was an early submission to the Paris Salon, the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris — an annual event in 1884.
It was quite controversial; upon its unveiling, negative reviews began pouring in.
The L'Événement (a French newspaper) stated:
"Mr. Sargent made a mistake if he thinks he expressed the shattering beauty of his model... Even recognizing certain qualities that the painting has, we are shocked by the spineless expression and the vulgar character of the figure."
His model was the young socialite Virginie Amélie Avegno Gautreau. She was praised for her unparalleled beauty, which made the work's reception a stain on the reputation of both the artist and the model. Simply put, everyone in Paris hated it. The work was too provocative and macabre for its time. Sargent escaped the negative reviews by fleeing to England the following year.
This exhibition weaves together stories like this, allowing visitors to follow the history of an artist who became a central figure in the field. Through studies, sketches, and portraitures, we begin to piece together Sargent's journey to becoming the most influential portraitist of his time. I loved it; the craftsmanship inspired me to start carrying a sketchpad again. Check below to see my sketch! I hope we can all be inspired to create more..✎ (❁ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈) ༉‧ ♡*.✧
This exhibition is on view through August 3, 2025
I've been noticing an interesting trend; there's been a move to highlight African spirituality by black artists. It's intriguing to see the religious elements of the diaspora being showcased so prevalently lately.
For those of you who don't know, I've always had an interest in religion. I tried to minor in the subject, but I had too many credits and had to stick with Art History and Visual Arts. This intersection of visual arts and diasporic religion has caught my attention. Let me know if you're all interested in a deep dive into some religious motifs around different contemporary canvases.
Let's touch base again soon! °˚ ༘♡ ⋆｡˚ ❀
Also, here’s the link to Onyedika Chuke Talks Juneteenth From Art Basel, check it out!
Can’t wait to see you explore religious motifs like you mentioned at the end there. Saw the Sargent show at the MET, loved his work. Have you seen the black dandyism show at the met?
I second Thando’s comment; love your iteration! A fine review of two fine exhibitions. Thanks for bringing them to our attention, Oceana!