Re: Art at HPC
Mickalene Thomas first began to photograph herself and her mother as a student at Yale—a pivotal experience for her as an artist. With each new series, she grapples with and asserts new definitions of beauty and inspiration. Thomas’s portraits draw equally from 1970s black-is-beautiful images of women such as supermodel Beverly Johnson and actress Vonetta McGee; Édouard Manet’s odalisque figures; and the mise-en-scène studio portraiture of James Van Der Zee and Malick Sidibé, to mention a few. Perhaps of greatest importance, however, Thomas’ collection of portraits and staged scenes reflects a very personal community of inspiration as well—a collection of muses that includes Thomas herself, her mother, and her friends and lovers, emphasizing the communal and social aspects of art-making and creativity that pervade her work.
~http://mickalenethomas.com/ ~
Artist/Author: MICKALENE THOMAS September 26, 2016 | |
