Fred Wilson: Black Like Me
July 10, 2005—January 8, 2006The Aldrich Contemporary Art Museum presented Black Like Me, an exhibition by Fred Wilson, the 2002 recipient of The Larry Aldrich Foundation Award, from July 10, 2005, through January 8, 2006.
In conjunction with the award, Wilson mounted a solo exhibition of new work based around his growing interest in the medium of glass. As the American representative at the 2003 Venice Biennale, Wilson produced a large body of work, often in collaboration with glass technicians from the legendary glass-making center of Murano in Venice. Wilson's interest in history, especially as it is revealed through objects, came into play in his new installation for The Aldrich.
Invited in 2002 to be an artist-in-residence at the Philchuck Glass School in Washington State, Wilson began his study of the medium, leading to his incorporation of glass in his installation at the Venice Biennale. He returned to Philchuck to produce much of the work for his award exhibition; many of the items were on view for the first time at The Aldrich. The title of the exhibition Black Like Me, was taken from John Howard Griffin's groundbreaking 1961 book of the same name. A white civil-rights activist, Griffin dyed his skin black and traveled throughout the south to directly understand the nature of racial prejudice.
Known for his signature style of using found objects as a vehicle for cultural and institutional critique, Wilson uses his new medium to continue his exploration of racial and ethnic marginalization in a more personal and introspective manner. Wilson exploits the stunning opacity of black glass combined with its fluid sensibility to invoke not only his subjective experience, but also the shadow of black experience and history. The new work exhibits a stunning material presence, animating Wilson's continuing inquiry into human nature.
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Fred Wilson, Pssst!, 2005, Blown glass, Courtesy of the artist and PaceWildenstein, New York
Fred Wilson, Drip, Drop, Plop, 2001, Blown glass, Collection of Susan Hancock and Ray Otis
Fred Wilson, Turbulence, 2001, Tile wall, graphite, ink, audio recordings, light, electronics, Courtesy of the artist and PaceWildenstein, New York
Fred Wilson, Vanity, 2005, Wood, plate glass, glass hardware, Courtesy of the artist and PaceWildenstein, New York
Fred Wilson, Drop, Dripped, 2004, Blown glass, Edition #3/20, Collection of Ann Hatch, Courtesy SculptureCenter, New York
About the Artist
Born in the Bronx in 1954, Wilson is one of the most influential African-American artists of his generation. Wilson has exhibited worldwide, and was the subject of a traveling retrospective that was organized by Maurice Berger for the Center for Visual Art and Visual Culture, University of Maryland, Baltimore County in 2001.Top of page: Fred Wilson, Mhole, 2005, Blown Glass, Courtesy of the artist and PaceWildenstein, New York
