Jack Whitten: The Messenger
Jack Whitten: The Messenger is the first comprehensive retrospective of the visionary artist’s six-decade career. Featuring over 175 works—including paintings, sculptures, and works on paper—the exhibition traces Whitten’s groundbreaking contributions to abstraction and his exploration of race, history, and technology.. Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 West 53 Street, Manhattan, New York, 10019. Runs from March 23, 2025 to August 2, 2025
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This exhibition will be held at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), 11 W 53rd St, New York, NY 10019. Runs from March 23, 2025 to August 2, 2025
Exhibition Description
From his experimental techniques to his deeply personal reflections on Black identity, Whitten’s work challenges and redefines the boundaries of contemporary art.Jack Whitten (1939–2018) was a relentless innovator who reshaped the language of abstraction over six decades. Beginning his career in the 1960s amid the Civil Rights Movement, Whitten moved away from gestural painting toward experimental techniques that merged sculptural and painterly processes. This exhibition showcases his transformative journey, from the textural, dragged-paint compositions of the 1970s to his mosaic-like acrylic paintings, which pay homage to Black cultural and political figures. Also included are Whitten’s sculptural works, many carved from wood and infused with historical and spiritual meaning. Jack Whitten: The Messenger highlights his legacy as an artist who continuously pushed the boundaries of materiality, memory, and form, offering profound reflections on history, identity, and technological change.
Gallery
