Black Abstraction: Panel Discussion

6:00 pm Program | In-Person Program with Option to view remotely

In conjunction with an exhibition of works by painter Suzanne Jackson, an intergenerational group of artists have a conversation with the aim of exploring  the latent potential of Black abstraction. More specifically, the conversation will examine the relation between abstraction and affect, how abstraction can teach us about the historical and political dimensions of existential longing, especially as it relates to Black subjectivity, and will probe the limits of the argument that at the hands of artists who happen to be Black, abstract idioms are inherently radical or liberatory.

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Born in Chicago in 1935, world-renowned sculptor Richard Hunt has singularly made the largest contribution to public art in the United States; over 150 public sculpture commissions grace prominent locations in 24 states and Washington, D.C. Hunt has held over 150 solo exhibitions and is represented in more than 100 public museums across the globe, from California to Maine, Detroit to Birmingham, and Vienna to Jerusalem.  Learn more.

Caroline Kent is an American visual artist based in Chicago, best known for her large scale abstract works. Inspired by her own personal experiences and her cultural heritage, Kent creates paintings that explore the power and limitations of communication. Caroline was recently awarded The Joyce Alexander Wein Artist Prize by The Studio Museum in Harlem and currently has solo exhibition at the MCA as part of the series Chicago Works
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Robert Burnier lives and works in Chicago, IL. He received his MFA from the School of the Art Institute in 2016 and a BS in Computer Science from Shippensburg University of Pennsylvania in 1991. He has had recent solo exhibitions at Andrew Rafacz Gallery (Chicago, IL), blank Projects (Cape Town, South Africa), Massey Klein Gallery (New York, NY), David B. Smith Gallery (Denver, CO), and The Arts Club of Chicago (Chicago, IL).   Burnier’s large-scale installation Black Tiberinus was on view on Chicago’s riverfront in 2019. He has exhibited at art fairs in New York, Miami, Chicago, London, Mexico City, Milan and Copenhagen. You can see his work at Andrew Rafacz in Chicago Learn more

Camille Bacon is a Chicago based writer who is crafting a "sweet black writing life" as inspired by the words of poet Nikky Finney and the infinite wisdom of the Black feminist tradition more broadly. Her work has been published in Frieze, Studio Magazine and Cultured Magazine, among other outlets. Prior to her position as manager of McArthur Binion's studio, she held positions at GRAY Gallery and the Studio Museum in Harlem.. Learn more