Was passing through downtown Cincinnati 3 weeks back there was a clothing store with similar shirts.
Black shirt with a white stripe across the chest area.
1 said White Lives....
Another White Privilege
A third White Lies
There were many more shirts but the light turned green so I couldn't really see them all
Oh shit I found it, it was an art gallery and a new installation.
“When was the last time that you saw a Godzilla-sized Black dude on a building?”
www.citybeat.com
A Cincinnati Artist Confronts Racism, Social Injustice with Latest Installment at Weston Art Gallery
“When was the last time that you saw a Godzilla-sized Black dude on a building?”
By
Katie Griffith on Fri, Sep 30, 2022 at 2:54 pm
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Photo: Tony Walsh
Artist Michael Coppage's
American+ exhibit at Weston Art Gallery features portraits of Black and white men and women standing in police-line configuration, wearing shirts displaying common phrases that employ the words black and white: black head, black ice, black market, white Christmas, white lie, white lion.
Entering the Cincinnati Arts Association’s Alice F. and Harris K. Weston Art Gallery in the Aronoff Center for the Arts, visitors are immediately confronted with its latest installment,
American+. Cincinnati-based artist Michael Coppage’s interdisciplinary excellence is solidified in this immersive experience, which challenges social injustice and racial disparities that exist in our language and culture.
Standing at around 15 feet tall, a line of white men and women who have killed Black men or women tower over smaller portraits of Black men. Here, a fusion of Coppage’s ongoing projects “BLACK BOX” and “WHITE BOX” are integrated into
American+. It is the first, most prominent piece gallery-goers will see and prepares them for the stimulating encounters ahead. In conjunction with the
2022 FotoFocus Biennial,
American+, launched the Weston Art Gallery’s 28th season on Sept. 16 and runs through Nov. 6.
“BLACK BOX” and “WHITE BOX” feature portraits of Black and white men and women standing in police-line configuration, wearing shirts displaying common phrases that employ the words black and white: black head, black ice, black market, white Christmas, white lie, white lion. Each color labeled on the subject’s shirt matches their race and that color activates the accompanying nouns with undeniable, contrasting implications.
“What we learn about colors has a direct impact on how we interact with people who identify as Black,” Coppage says. “So we learn that roses are red, violets are blue, the sun is yellow, but what we learn about black is that it's bad. And all the connotations that we make, they exacerbate that negativity. And so for ‘black mail,’ instead of saying extort, we choose these words. So it’s about making people aware of their language, so when we get to the point where we talk about race, all of these things aren't projected onto that person and implying that there's something inherently negative about them.”
American+ is a predominately lens-based journey that also includes sculpture, handmade jewelry and accessories among other mixed-media creations. The experience takes culturally normalized, racist stereotypes and provides “counter narratives and safe space for conversation,” according to Coppage’s artist statement.
One “WHITE BOX” phrase is apparently perturbing a few visitors or passersby who have reportedly called or emailed the gallery to complain, Coppage says. Complaints have been made about the street-level view of “WHITE BOX” that reads “White privilege,” Coppage says. The installment is visible from the sidewalk through the Walnut Street and Seventh Street entrances and windows.
The critics speak to the exhibit's effectiveness, which is intended to make the viewer confront whatever implicit bias is triggered by the images. For those who want to protest by denying the existence of white privilege or condemn the subject altogether, their voices are a confirmation that Coppage’s work is impactful and sometimes painfully potent - and that’s just on the first floor.
Photo: Tony Walsh
"White Flight" a component of artist Michael Coppage's
American+ exhibit at Weston Art Gallery.
American+ continues down a flight of stairs, which Coppage managed to incorporate in the experience. “White Flight” depicts stairs painted white and embellished with words in bold, black font. The reverse black font atop white stairs is revealed directly around the corner. The tour continues to explore topics like gentrification, appropriation of Black culture, historical lynching and police brutality in an intense yet accessible way.
BLINK Cincinnati is set to feature a piece by Coppage.
Care Bear, a mural of the male portrayed in “BLACK BOX” who wears the “black head” labeled shirt will stand on the North face of the Aronoff Center at 55 feet tall while projections simulate beams of colorful light emitting from his chest.
“I hope that there are people who walk up and down this street that feel like they are represented, that feel like they are a part of it, that admire it because it's something, frankly, that you don't see,” Coppage says. “When was the last time that you saw a Godzilla-sized Black dude on a building?”
How can we take personal, learned, harmful stereotypes that have been standardized by society and unlearn or reverse them to make a positive impact on ourselves and others? Coppage’s
American+ is a striking, artful exploration of this question. It should be toured with an open mind and willingness to honestly inspect personal prejudice.
A free gallery talk with Coppage will be held on Tuesday, Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
Weston Art Gallery is at 650 Walnut Street, Downtown. More info:
cincinnatiarts.org.