Painters Painting Painters: A Study of Muses, Friends and Companions: Curated by Bailey Summers

June 4 - September 25, 2022

Works

Toyin Ojih Odutola, All these garlands prove nothing IV, 2012

Overview

"Painters Painting Painters: A Study of Muses, Friends and Companions explores how the contemporary salient of modern female and LGBTQ+ artists have expanded the ‘artist as the subject’ trope into a more modern phenomenon while simultaneously examining the types of significant and unexpected relationships that result in such works being made."

Artists have always painted portraits of other artists. This phenomenon generally occurs as a result of a close relationship, badge of respect, or occasionally because the subject is a source of inspiration. Because history has primarily recognized straight male artists, or males who did not overtly assert their straight male non-conformity, most historical references to artists painting each other has been that of outwardly stereotypical male artists painting other male artists or, occasionally, outwardly gender-normative males painting outwardly gender-normative female artists. Painters Painting Painters: A Study of Muses, Friends and Companions explores how the contemporary salient of modern female and LGBTQ+ artists have expanded the ‘artist as the subject’ trope into a more modern phenomenon while simultaneously examining the types of significant and unexpected relationships that result in such works being made.

Traditionally, portraits of other artists have focused on great appreciation for the skill of the artist subject, often tinged with feelings of friendship, or feelings of respect for the subject’s attributes. Most often, tinges of all three of these embodiments coexist on one plane. Painters Painting Painters: A Study of Muses, Friends and Companions reflects upon this traditional coexistent set of emotions by considering how nudity, sexuality, non-normative gender identity and female authorship act to expand or modify them.