10.5.18

Last Friday, I was lucky enough to join 7th grade on their trip to see the incredible Mickalene Thomas exhibit at the Henry Art Museum. Thomas lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, creating mixed-media pieces that examine how identity, gender, and sense-of-self are informed by the ways women are represented in art and popular culture. Each of her series conjures new definitions of beauty and inspiration, like self-representation, Western stereotypes of blackness, and the legacy of her late mother, Mama Bush.

A perfect follow-up to Jen Stark’s transcendent collages seventh-graders studied in previous weeks, this collection gave them a glimpse into the mixed media forms they can expect to work with this year: like photography, portraiture, and collage. However, Thomas’s body of work pushes beyond the definition of “mixed media,” with video, installations/environments, painting, collage, and photography, which was evident throughout the exhibit.

One of the pillars of Thomas’s work is her brilliant ability to integrate drawn inspiration into her pieces and environments. Students had the opportunity to experience Thomas’s communities of inspiration first hand via tête-à-tête, an installation curated by Thomas of work from photographers and key images that have inspired her. Thomas honors everything that inspires her—whether it be fellow Brooklyn artists, the nostalgia of 1970’s macramé, or the iconic discography of Diana Ross. It was important for students to see how Thomas celebrates her inspiration and her community, since much of their curriculum in art this year will be a response to what influences them artistically and several projects focus on collaborations with classmates.

This week, Thomas’s work is influencing students as they work on embellishing mugs with textures and patterns and colors, all vibrant elements of Thomas’s work. It has been inspiring see how seventh-graders interpreted the art of Mickalene Thomas, and how it will shape the way they approach art and identity this year.

-Devon