LOUISIANA CONTEMPORARY PRESENTED BY
2021
925 CAMP STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130
FRONT COVER: BRANDON SURTAIN, ...WE FLUTTER FOR A DAY AND
504.539.9650 | OGDENMUSEUM.ORG
THINK IT’S FOREVER (DETAIL), 2021, 48 X 24, COURTESY OF THE ARTIST
LOUISIANA CONTEMPORARY PRESENTED BY
Letter from the Executive Director
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Juror’s Statement
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Louisiana Contemporary Presented by The Helis Foundation
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About the Juror, Hallie Ringle Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art Bi r mingham Museum of Art Acknowledgements Ogden Museum Staff
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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR On the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Louisiana Contemporary, I realize that time flies during a global pandemic. At least that’s how it feels when looking forward to another installation of this exhibition while looking backward at the last. There is a little bit of distortion, felt strongly in the context of a museum where things have a tendency to feel like they are standing still. Distortion provokes recollection. The motivation for this annual exhibition ten years ago was to create a formal vehicle for the community of artists living and working in Louisiana. This would include artists who have chosen to stay and make this place their proving ground alongside artists who have chosen to come here, looking for new meaning and purpose. This exhibit was also made for the artists who were not already artists, not ready to be called artists, nor necessarily looking to be artists, but became so while living here for however long, being transformed by their experiences among the people and place, to make art that could describe these experiences that no other way could. This exhibition was also for those secret artists, who have been interior artists for a long time, and - seeing this opportunity - have taken it. Over the past year, the sense of community has been strengthened on the walls of the Museum as intended, and also in a new and strange sense of communal comfort, as most of the world had to learn how to work in isolation, as so many artists do, day after day. Many artists recognized the moment and seemed to say, “See? This is not so unusual,” and “we knew what we were doing all along," and this has also added to our collective distortion of when and where and how we do all the things we were used to doing. Because of that distortion, in many ways this year feels like a continuation of the last. In 2020, we extended Louisiana Contemporary to flow into 2021 so that more audiences could have the opportunity to confront the works in the galleries over a longer period of time. It was a new exercise in geometry and physics, reducing the volume capacity of visitors in the Museum necessitated extending the timeline for the works to be seen. Doing so has created an unintended continuity of form since these two iterations are now only months apart, as if they were part of an unrepentant, binge-watching cycle of another streaming episode of our favorite show - this one populated by artists, their artworks, their family and friends, studios, galleries, museums and curators, writers, collaborators and other exhibitions. I’m grateful for the team here who care deeply about this project and what it represents: Amy Newell, Exhibitions Specialist, who ably and capably with great passion and pride, coordinates an extraordinary show; Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection and Collections Manager, who works closely with the juror to realize their vision; Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography and Chief Preparator, who illuminates that vision; Samantha Scoggins, Coordinator for Curatorial Affairs and Collections, for the extensive operational support; Selina McKane, Coordinator for Executive and Exhibition Affairs, who juggles many contributions from multiple areas; Claire Wilkinson, Director of Development, who helps to raise the funds necessary to bring this show to fruition; and Melissa Kenyon, Director of Marketing and Experience, who presents the outward form. Like everything else at Ogden Museum, it truly is a team effort, and many more staff listed later in summary contribute to the realization of this exhibition year after year. My gratitude extends to our juror Hallie Ringle, the Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art, for spending so much time with us this year and for lending her vision, and always to The Helis Foundation for sustaining this initiative by presenting this exhibition, and for adding the element of The Helis Foundation Art Prize to directly support an artist’s growth. As ever, we are all grateful to the artists for sharing the work that they make, for coming together in community for this exhibition and for being here in Louisiana working among us. Time has been distorted and may even feel like it stopped over the last year, but because of all of these individuals and their supportive actions, we have art to keep time and mark existence as both our pendulum and our sundial. William Pittman Andrews Executive Director Ogden Museum of Southern Art
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JUROR'S STATEMENT I was raised in Davidson, North Carolina by two ardent fans of New Orleans and, by extension, Louisiana. It may sound odd to say that one can love a state with as much passion as a sports team but my parents, Bill and Georgia Ringle, managed it. After moving from New Orleans to Davidson in 1986, they instilled in us a belief that New Orleans was the center of culture. If Davidson did anything right, New Orleans did it better. In our household, if a friend mentioned New Orleans it implied a kind of worldliness that won them instant acceptance into the Ringle family. I can safely admit that my parents were right about New Orleans. Judging from the strength of the applications, it’s clear that there are vibrant, resilient communities of artists in Louisiana. For me, the health of an arts community is evident through the zeal with which artists are experimenting and I was so impressed to see artists in this application trying out new modes of working. Given everything these artists have had to contend with, not the least of which was a global pandemic, I’m deeply moved that these artists continued to consider the implications of artistic expression. Shifts over the past year and a half have been in thought and action, that is, largely invisible. For me, this past year and my new stationary, solitary existence provoked a lot of self reflection and it’s clear from the applications that many of the artists shared this sense of interiority. From representing the deep impact of the pandemic to national reckonings with systemic racism, these artists are giving us a glimpse of their experiences. They’re revisiting familiar places that have been closed off and become new again, closely examining the world around them and asking us to see it with them. I was all too happy to view those worlds, to travel through the work of these artists, to experience another section of the South. I’m writing this from Birmingham, Alabama, where I’ve lived for the past three years. Since then I’ve learned that, in order for art and artists to thrive in a region, there must be grants, awards, and adequate opportunities for exhibiting work in institutions. These opportunities are abundant in places like New York and Los Angeles, but aren’t as prevalent in the South, making exhibitions like Louisiana Contemporary all the more important. Ogden Museum of Southern Art has certainly contributed heavily to the viability of arts in Louisiana through their commitment to artists working locally and it’s been an honor to see the fruits of that support in this exhibition.
Hallie Ringle Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art Birmingham Museum of Art
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DIA N A A BOU C H A C R A
Bato n R o u g e , Lo ui s i an a
Material as Rediscovered Memory I 2020 Intaglio 20 x 26 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Hisham and Dana Abouchacra
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LU KE A LE X AT K I N S O N
Bat o n R o u g e , Lo ui s i an a
Where's the Shoorah? 2021 Oil on canvas 60 x 48 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist
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LU IS CRU Z A Z A C E TA
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
FOLLOW THE LIGHT 2021 Acrylic on canvas 72 x 72 x 2 inches Courtesy of Arthur Roger Gallery
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CH RIS T IN E B A G N E R I S
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Stacy and Micah, Grand Isle, Louisiana 2021 Mixed media on birch plywood 48 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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MAC BA LL
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo u i s i an a
Pop Goes America 2021 Oil on canvas 48 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
A Voyeur in King Tut's Tomb 2021 Oil on canvas 48 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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MA C BA LL
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
The Border Patrol 2021 Oil on canvas 48 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist 8
H A G IT BA R K A I
L af a ye t t e , L o ui s i an a
Access 1 2019 Oil, acrylic and marker on stretched canvas 53 x 32 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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WE N DO BR U N O I R
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
If You Want to Swim, Go to Coney Island 2021 Acrylic & spray paint on various laser cut birch panels and mounted to wood panel 60 x 48 x 2.5 inches Collection of the artist Stacks with Racks or (A Concept of Spirituality in an Urban Environment) 2020 Acrylic & spray paint on laser cut wood mounted to CNC routed PVC panel 78 x 24 x 2 inches Collection of the artist 10
MA RY BE L L O R I N
M e t a i r i e , L o ui s i an a
Geometry 2 2019 Acrylic on canvas 24 x 30 inches Courtesy of the artist
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N H DE PA S S
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Ida III 2020 Vinyl heat transfer, digital print on canvas, thread, Sunbrella marine canvas 65 x 47 x 2 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Thierry Goldberg Gallery 12
N H DE PA S S
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Elizabeth 2020 Birch plywood, high pressure laminate, acrylic sheet, digital print, Ralph Lauren wallpaper, pewter candlestick holders, candle sticks, ceramic horse figurine, iPhone 11 Pro Max replica, jeweled iPhone case, steel brackets 42 x 59 x 15 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Thierry Goldberg Gallery
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TAMA DIST L E R
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Popeyes 3pc Combo 2021 Acrylic painting encrusted with recycled Mardi Gras beads 25 x 25 x 3 inches Collection of the artist
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Seafood Gumbo 2020 Acrylic painting encrusted with recycled Mardi Gras beads 72 x 48 x 2.75 inches Collection of the artist
MICHA E L EB L E
Lafa ye t t e , L oui s i an a
Sonnet 98 2021 Acrylic and collaged paper on stretched canvas 36 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist,
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MA RYA M E L - AWA D I
Ru s t o n , L o u i si an a
Day Dreaming 2020 Acrylic and oil on wood panel 30 x 24 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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K AT E G O RD O N
Lafa ye t t e , L oui s i an a
Truly Co. Oz 2020 Watercolor and ink on mixed media paper with embroidery floss 24 x 23 inches Collection of the artist
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CH A RLE S GU D A I T I S
S lid e l l , L o u i s i an a
Formosan Termite Sculpture No. 1 2020 Lumber removed from a Formosan termite infested home 21 x 8 x 4 inches Collection of the artist
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JERE M IA H J O H N S O N
T h ib o d a u x, L o u i s i an a
Eat a Peach 2020 Etching 8 x 10 x 1 inches Collection of the artist
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ISR A E LL J OH N S O N
Me t a i r i e , L o u i s i an a
Red, Black, and Blue 2020 Oil, acrylic, watercolor, color pencil 21 x 18 inches Collection of the artist
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CH RIS KIN G
N atch i t o ch e s , Lo u i s i an a
Easy Target 2021 Acrylic paint, chalkboard paint, shattered clay shotgun targets mounted to wood panel 40 x 30 x 3 inches Collection of the artist 21
FA ITH L A U R E N T
S lid e l l , L o u i s i a n a
Floraison: The Upcoming of Elmonia 2021 Archival pigment print 20 x 16 inches, 16 x 20 inches, 20 x 16 inches Collection of the artist 22
SHE LBY LIT T L E
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Sego Lily at Sunset 2020 Acrylic and gold leaf on canvas 38 x 36 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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CH RIS T Y L O R I O
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Tree Hair 2021 Archival pigment print 14 x 11 inches Collection of the artist 24
ANDRE W BU C K N E R LY M A N N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
The Last Picture Show 2020 Oil on canvas 30 x 40 x 1 inches Collection of the artist
Watching You Without Me 2020 Oil on canvas 46 x 72 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist
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KA O RI M A E YA M A
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Tchoupitoulas 2020 Oil on panel 32 x 48 x 1/5 inches Collection of the artist
Oblique 2020 Oil on panel 36 x 48 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist
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K RIST IN M E Y E R S
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Crown 2021 Mixed media and natural objects 32 x 30 x 32 inches Collection of the artist
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K RIST IN M E Y E R S
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Roulette 2021 Mixed media and found objects 29 x 17 x 14 inches Collection of the artist
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JA CO B M I T C H E L L
Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a
HEAVEN SENT 2021 Archival pigment print 40 x 30 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist 29
ANG E L P E R D O MO Me t a i r i e , L o ui s i ana
Jesus Piece Around My Neck To Protect Me From My Haters 2020 Mixed media painting on canvas 60 x 45 inches Collection of the artist
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That’s a Clean Burning Hell I Tell You What 2019 Acrylic on canvas 59 x 39 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
DO RTHY R AY
Bat o n R o u g e , Lo ui s i an a
Boy Series 3 2020 Archival pigment print 16 x 20 inches Collection of the artist
Girl 1 2020 Archival pigment print 16 x 20 inches Collection of the artist
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KE N N E T H S C O T T, J R .
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Street Dreams 2021 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist
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K E LS E Y S C U LT, MU S I C B Y SAVA WOL F
Lafa ye t t e , L oui s i an a
Her Teeth and Where to Find Them 2021 Video and mixed media installation 72 x 36 x 72 inches Collection of the artist
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R O S A L IE S MI T H
N e w O r l e a n s, Lo u i s i an a
Water Hyacinth 2020 Rubber gloves collected from the roadside 32 x 24 x 6 inches Collection of the artist
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E L L IO T ST O K E S
Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a
Port in a Storm (excerpt) 2020 Cast latex of the artist’s father’s oil pump shed, salvage wood armature 72 x 48 x 30 inches Collection of the artist 35
MA DDIE S T R AT T O N
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Flock 2021 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 16 x .5 inches Collection of the artist
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BR A N DO N S U RTA I N
J e ff e r s o n , L ou i s i an a
...We Flutter For a Day and Think It’s Forever 2021 Oil on canvas 48 x 24 inches Collection of the artist 37
TR E N ITY T H O MA S Wes t w e g o , L o ui s i an a
All New 2020 Archival pigment print 36 x 24 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery 38
BR A N DT VI C K N A I R
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Blazin A's Steak & Seafood 2019 Archival pigment print show on Kodak Portra 400 with the Pentax 67 16 x 20 x 2 inches Collection of the artist
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JO HN WA L E S A N D E R I N WAL E S M an d e vi l l e , Lo ui s i an a
Beach Closed - Corona 2020 2020 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 20 x .6 inches Courtesy of the artist
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Contact Tracing - Covid 19 – 2020 2020 Acrylic on canvas 20 x 20 x .6 inches Collection of the artists
BI A N CA WA L K E R
N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a
Last Black Seminole 2021 House paint dripped onto drop cloth, constructed with found bamboo and black rope 69 x 43 x 2.5 inches Collection of the artist
Trillbilly Trilby 2021 House paint dripped on drop cloth, constructed with found wood and black rope 40 x 45 x 1 inches Collection of the artist
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THO M A S WA LT O N
N e w O r l e a n s, Lo u i s i an a
Nature Always Wins 2019 Oil on linen 54 x 46 x 2 inches Collection of the artist 42
JO HA N N A WA R W I C K Ba t o n R o u g e, Lo ui s i an a
828 Eddie Robinson (demolition) 2021 Archival pigment print 21 x 31 x 1 inches Collection of the artist
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MICHA E L WH I T E H E A D
Bat o n R o u g e , Lo ui s i an a
The Pillars of St. Gabriel 2021 Mixed media drawing 30 x 40 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist
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ABOUT THE JUROR Hallie R i ng l e Hu g h K a u l Cu rato r o f Co ntem p o rar y A r t Bir m i n g h a m Mus e u m o f Art
Photo by Texas Isaiah
Hallie Ringle is the Hugh Kaul Curator of Contemporary Art at the Birmingham Museum of Art, where she curated Celestia Morgan: REDLINE, Wall to Wall: Merritt Johnson (co-curated) and Barbie: Dreaming of a Female Future. She was formerly Assistant Curator at The Studio Museum in Harlem, where she curated Maren Hassinger: Monuments, Firelei Baez: Joy Out of Fire, Fictions (co-curated), Rico Gatson: Icons 2007–2017, Video Studio: Meeting Points, Palatable: Food and Contemporary Art, and Salon Style. She was a fall 2018 Andy Warhol Curatorial Fellow. She has a B.A. from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and an M.A. from the University of Texas at Austin.
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ogden Museum of Southern Art is grateful to these supporters for making Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, possible: PRESENTING SPONSOR:
HOST COMMITTEE:
Roger H. Ogden & Ken Barnes Martin J. Drell M.D. Chairman Charles D. Urstadt Vice Chairman Geoffrey P. Snodgrass Treasurer Joel Vilmenay Secretary Justin Woods Executive Director William Pittman Andrews
Eclectic Home Peter Politzer & Jane S. Murray Donna Vitter
Trustees Coleman E. Adler II Ron Bechet Ted Bloch III M.D. Tracy Copeland Mathilde Currence Beverly Dale Bryan Fitzpatrick Jerry Fortino Penny Francis Monica Ann Frois William Goldring Noah Hardie L. Kasimu Harris Jessie Haynes Gregory Holt Stuart Hurt R. Jackson Little
Catherine Makk Matthew Moreland Gregory Morey Dale Mott Roger Ogden Matt Schwartz Troy Scroggins Harry Shearer Lloyd N. “Sonny” Shields Cleophus Thomas, Jr. Jason Waguespack Michael Wilkinson Jennie Cannon West Michael Wilkinson Sharonda Williams Chairmen Emeriti William Goldring
*As of July 27, 2021 46
OGDEN MUSEUM STAFF Allison Bailey, Membership & Grants Specialist Amanda Rose, Director of Programming & Operations Amy Newell, Exhibitions Specialist Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection & Collections Manager Brandon Lattimore, Lead Visitor Services Associate Claire Wilkinson, Director of Development Danielle Riley, Gallery Attendant Dominique Harness, Gallery Attendant Dorcas Omojola, Director of Finance & Administration Ellen Balkin, Director of Education Eva Foldy, Museum Store Associate George Varnado, Manager of Security James Eubanks, Manager of Security Jane Winslow, Museum Store Manager Juan May, Custodian Kaila Pulliam Collins, Museum Store Associate Kelsey Scult, Museum Store Associate Loren Brown, Gallery Attendant Mark Spiers, Gallery Attendant Melissa Guyton, Custodian Melissa Kenyon, Director of Marketing & Experience Mercedes Thornton, Gallery Attendant Michelle Pontiff, Education Coordinator Mikhayla Harrell, Museum Educator Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography & Chief Prepartor Samantha Scoggins, Coordinator for Curatorial Affairs & Collections Sara Echaniz, Museum Educator Selina McKane, Coordinator for Executive & Exhibition Affairs Shannon Burrell, Gallery Attendant Sydney Prochaska, Museum Store Associate Tabbie Benanti, Director of Security Terris Kingsberry, Gallery Attendant Traci Taylor, Visitor Services Associate Van Dupree, Gallery Attendant Wayne Loyacano, Chief Engineer & Facilities Manager William Andrews, Executive Director 47
BACK COVER: ANGEL PERDOMO, JESUS PIECE AROUND MY NECK TO PROTECT ME FROM MY HATERS, 2020, MIXED MEDIA, PAINTING ON CANVAS, 60 X 45 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST
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925 CAMP STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 504.539.9650 | OGDENMUSEUM.ORG
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