Kevin Beasley
ICA – Institute of Contemporary Art Boston
May 10, 2018 – August 26, 2018
Content and images by: Caressa Losier
Kevin Beasley is a Lynchburg, Virginia-born, turned New York City-based artist known for his unique sculptures and innovative performance art pieces. His latest exhibition at The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston (ICA-Boston) aims to captivate audiences with expressions shaped by individual experiences. Leave your analytical thoughts at the door, but bring your emotions because these dark, haunting figures made from raw material and everyday items will evoke the deepest, most profound feelings from within.
Fresh out of Yale’s MFA graduate program, Kevin Beasley went to work and landed his very first solo exhibition in 2015. During his emergence, the art world began to take notice of his refreshing new style.
Strange Fruit
Beasley, a Black-American artist with Virginia roots, has an impeccable eye for sophisticated aesthetics and a very eclectic taste in music. Strange Fruit (above photo) doubles as the name of a classic Billie Holiday song and as the name of this piece. In Strange Fruit, hanging speakers and tarred sneakers are symbols of race and class in the United States.
Untitled 11
Jumped Man
Jumped man (above photo) is far too powerful to be mistaken for a Drake and Future song. In this piece, Polyurethane foam is holding down a fresh pair of size 18 Nike Air Jordans. It seems innocent enough, but it has a much deeper significance than what meets the eye. Beasley’s work is packed with cultural resonance, and drenched in cultural references, but his audience is a multitude of people from different backgrounds with one little thing in common – fine taste in art.
Untitled (… just watch)
Shiny leather, Air Jordans, smooth silk scarves, you name it, Kevin Beasley has incorporated these and several other items in his artwork. But Beasley’s work goes beyond observation and admiration, this exhibit’s Phashing (Ebb) piece actually included a speaker and incorporated spooky ghoulish sounds.
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