Faith Ringgold, Early Works #18: Two Guys Talking, 1964
This is the premier of Modern Women, a new themed section curated by Camille Morineau (Co- founder of non-profit organization AWARE – Archive of Women Artists, Research and Exhibitions). Dedicated to solo exhibitions by women artists, Modern Women places a special focus on works created between 1880 and 1980, a pivotal period for women’s rights and feminism.
This solo exhibition features artwork from the 1960s and 1970s which demonstrates Ringgold's career-spanning commitment to social justice and equity through a variety of media including oil paintings, tankas and soft sculptures. The artworks in the exhibition weave together autobiographic details, fictional accounts and historic events into ambitious narratives that speak to universal truths of the human condition.
Oil paintings from the 1960s begin Ringgold’s investigation into the complexities of gender and racial identities in America and set the stage for the next five decades of work. The soft sculptures, masks and tankas the artist produced in the 1970s continue her advocacy for political and societal change while challenging the historical divisions between fine art, graphic design and craft. The tankas’ use of written words within figurative paintings that are framed by pieced fabric borders are the precursors to her well-known story-quilts created between 1980 and 2010.
This exhibition coincides with Ringgold’s first major traveling retrospective appearing first in New York at the New Museum of Contemporary Art (February 17-June 5, 2022); the DeYoung Museum, San Francisco (July 16–November 27, 2022); Musee Picasso, Paris (January 31 – July 2, 2023) and Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago (November 18, 2023 – February 25, 2024).
