From now through January 21st, the National Museum of Women in the Arts is highlighting Black female abstract artists through its current exhibition, Magnetic Fields: Expanding American Abstraction, 1960’s to Today.
Though you may not be big into abstract art, I highly suggest visiting this exhibit before it moves out of the museum. Even the least creatively-inclined visitors will appreciate the stunning pieces that abound within this exhibit. The visuals were shocking and beautiful, speaking to the pain, struggle and celebration that Black women in this country have endured over the last several decades.
I had the privilege of visiting the exhibit on the first day of its opening (the security guard actually told me I was the first visitor to ever come to the exhibit!) To give you a taste of what you’ll see on arrival, I’ll highlight some of my favorite pieces for you. Below is a statue piece created by Chakaia Booker in 2001, created of mostly rubber tires and some wood. The piece is called El Gato and the shape is mirrors that of the regal posture of a cat. The sharpness and distressing nature of this piece was what made it stick out to me; I can see the motion of the cat within it as well.Photo by Alexis Whitted
Another piece that stuck out to me is called Wrenching News, created in 2008 by Maren Hassinger. This work was made by the artist tightly twisting pieces of the New York Times newspapers together, demonstrating the hard truth that the media has no choice but to tell us. Many of the newspapers used in this piece reflect back on the hardship of Hurricane Katrina and how the city of New Orleans is still recovering years later.
Photo by Alexis Whitted
This is just a small taste of what the beautiful exhibit has to offer. The best time to visit this exhibit before it closes at the end of next month would be their free community day on January 7, as the museum costs $8 for students all other days. For more information on hours and about the exhibit itself go to https://nmwa.org/exhibitions/magnetic-fields.