Black Pulp!
A century of visualizing Black experience
October 1–December 17, 2016
Opening: October 6, 6–8pm
Public program: October 22, 7:30–9:30pm
International Print Center New York (IPCNY)
508 West 26th St, 5th fl
New York, NY 10001
Hours: Tuesday–Saturday 11am–6pm
T 212 989 5090
www.ipcny.org/blackpulp
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International Print Center New York (IPCNY) presents Black Pulp!, an exhibition that examines evolving perspectives of Black identity in American culture and history from 1912 to 2016 through contemporary works of art and rare historical printed media. The exhibition includes works by artists, graphic designers, and publishers in formats ranging from little known comic books to covers for historic books and magazines, to etchings, digital prints, drawings, and media-based works by some of today’s leading artists. The exhibition is organized by artists Mark Thomas Gibson and William Villalongo, and is accompanied by an illustrated catalogue, extensive didactics, and free public programming.
Co-curator Villalongo states, “The pulp attitude is to take the tragic and painful points of history, from Jim Crow to World War II, and challenge them through biting humor, satire, and wit.” Co-curator Gibson continues, “Black Pulp! highlights individuals who have redefined our entire world, while reshaping our concept of Black identity.”
The exhibition features contemporary works by an intergenerational group of 21 artists from the Black diaspora: Derrick Adams, Laylah Ali, Firelei Báez, Nayland Blake, Robert Colescott, Renee Cox, William Downs, Ellen Gallagher, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Lucia Hierro, Yashua Klos, Kerry James Marshall, Wangechi Mutu, Lamar Peterson, Pope.L, Kenny Rivero, Alexandria Smith, Felandus Thames, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker, and Fred Wilson.
Black Pulp! situates these works in the context of rare historical books, comics, newspapers, and related ephemera, from Alain LeRoy Locke’s The New Negro (1925) and Wallace Thurman’s quarterly Fire!!: Devoted to the Younger Negro Artists (1926) to Jackie Ormes’ comic strip Torchy in Heartbeats (1953). Other historical artists and writers on view are Gwendolyn Bennett, E. Simms Campbell, Miguel Covarrubias, Charles Cullen, Countee Cullen, Sadie Iola Daniel, Aaron Douglas, Emory Douglas, W.E.B. Dubois, George J. Evans, Jr., Elton C. Fax, Billy Graham, Oliver W. Harrington, George Herriman, Alvin Hollingsworth, Langston Hughes, Zora Neal Hurston, Charles S. Johnson, James Weldon Johnson, Lois Mailou Jones, Jacob Lawrence, Gertrude McBrown, Dwayne McDuffie, Owen Middleton, Richard Bruce Nugent, Laura Wheeler Waring, Charles White and Carter G. Woodson.
Debuting in January 2016 at Yale School of Art’s 32 Edgewood Gallery, New Haven, Black Pulp! is the first exhibition from 32 Edgewood Gallery to travel. The New York presentation introduces several contemporary prints specific to the IPCNY venue, including works by Firelei Báez, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Yashua Klos, Wangechi Mutu, Kenny Rivero, Kara Walker, and Fred Wilson, and as well as never before exhibited drawings by Laylah Ali.
Free public program
“Strategic Existence: Satire, Comics, and Authorship”
A panel discussion on Saturday, October 22, 7:30–9:30pm
School of Visual Arts (SVA) Theatre, 333 West 23rd Street, NYC
Panelists: exhibiting artists Trenton Doyle Hancock and Laylah Ali, and Ariell Johnson of Amalgam Comic & Coffeehouse in Philadelphia.
Moderated by Michael B. Gillespie, Assoc. Prof. of Film at CCNY and author.
Introductory remarks “Making Black Modern: An Historical Grounding” by Caroline Goeser, PhD and author.
A special live musical performance by writer and musician Greg Tate and Burnt Sugar Arkestra Chamber will accompany this event.
RSVP to stephanie [at] ipcny.org. The event is preceded by extended viewing hours of Black Pulp! at IPCNY from 6–7pm.
Credits
Black Pulp! at IPCNY is made possible through the generous support of Katherine Farley and Jerry I. Speyer, Agnes Gund, Sara and Joshua Slocum, Marnie S. Pillsbury, and Bernard I. Lumpkin and Carmine D. Boccuzzi.
About IPCNY
IPCNY is New York’s first and only non-profit arts institution dedicated to the innovative presentation of printed art, by emerging and established, national and international artists.
Press inquiries
April Hunt: april [at] sparkplug-pr.com or T 646 245 9312
