On Friday, January 20th, Black Thorns in the White Cube opened at the Paragraph Gallery in Kansas City, MO. Featuring artists Alexander Binder, Vincent Como, Terence Hannum, Karlynn Holland, Elodie Lesourd, Aaron Metté, Grant Willing, Christophe Szpajdel and Tereza Zelenkova, and curated by Amelia Ishmael, this den of black arts brought people in droves, sheltering them from the cold of the KC winter with the icy arms of black metal comfort. Ishmael made an interesting point about this exhibit – “it’s frequently the people who have never been to an art gallery who feel instantly comfortable with these types of images, and the fine art community that is a little unsure how to read or approach them.” I guess it’s not surprising that everyday people are interested in artwork that provokes such dark thoughts and emotions – they touch the soul in a direct way, as opposed to a work of art that requires a lot of cerebral reasoning to see its connection to humanity. Not to say that this artwork isn’t challenging, it definitely is, but maybe its directness goes against the traditional pretension of the art world. That’s my 2 cents. Anyway, Ishmael also gave a talk the next day, tying Black Thorns in the White Cube to her thesis on black metal in contemporary art, and found an audience open and interested in the history and characteristics of the black metal genre. The exhibition is a success, and Ishmael says she’s “happily surprised by how long people stay and listen to records…or flip through books [she] brought to share.” The exhibition runs until March 3rd, and then Ishmael will take it to her hometown of Chicago. After the jump, check out some of the pieces being shown for Black Thorns in the White Cube.
Alexander Binder, Untitled, 2011, Lambda print, 16 x 12 inches
Alexander Binder, Untitled, 2011, Lambda print, 12 x 16 inches
Vincent Como, Descent, 2011, toner and acrylic medium on paper, 69 x 93 inches
Grant Willing, Untitled (Ice) from “Svart Metall” series, 2008, digital fiber print, 11 x 14 inches
Terence Hannum, Pentagon IV, 2011, gouache on paper, 22 x 22 inches
Karlynn Holland, Forest I, 2009, India ink on Bristol, 24 x 19 inches
Elodie Lesourd, Pestilence (Darkthrone), 2008, ink on paper, 13.75 x 18.75 inches
Aaron Metté, Afterlife 3 from “Afterlife” series, 2011, Giclee print, 24 x 9.1 inches
Christophe Szpajdel, Black Thorns in the White Cube, 2011, ink and graphite on paper, 11.7 x 8.3 inches
Tereza Zelenkova, Zabriskie from “Supreme Vice” series, 2009, Lambda print, 39.25 x 27.5 inches
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