Kwame Brathwaite, Tomory Dodge, Sky Glabush, Kristy Luck, Laurie Nye, Muzae Sesay
Art Basel Miami Beach | Galleries Section
December 1 – 3, 2022
At Art Basel Miami Beach, Philip Martin Gallery presents an exhibition of six artists: Kwame BRATHWAITE, Tomory DODGE, Sky GLABUSH, Kristy LUCK, Laurie NYE and Muzae SESAY. In their respective works, these six artists of different generations and backgrounds locate individual vision, expression and identity in contemporary society.
Kwame BRATHWAITE (b. 1938, New York) was the first to promote “Black is Beautiful,” one of the most important ideas of the second half of the 20th Century. Scholars now recognize the achievements of Kwame Brathwaite and the two artist/activist groups he helped co-found - African Jazz Arts Society and Studios (AJASS) and Grandassa Models - alongside those of the Harlem Renaissance and the Black Arts Movement. Brathwaite's work encourages people to love themselves for who they are, not what a racist, so-called homogenous society tells them about themselves. Brathwaite's photographs are currently the subject of a seven-venue touring exhibition, and a major monograph, published by Aperture. Kwame Brathwaite will have a solo exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago in 2023.
Tomory DODGE (b. 1974, Denver, CO) explore representation and the mechanics of picture-making. He writes, “I have often talked about paintings being inherently contradictory things. They are objects that are spaces, walls that are windows. They are the intersection of object and image. Painting maintains a physical anchor at a time when the image generally is becoming more and more ethereal—everywhere and nowhere at the same time.” Tomory Dodge's practice is both additive and reductive. He paints over older moments and scraps away, finding the painting within the painting, to reach the final form of the work.
The work of Sky GLABUSH (b. 1970, Alert Bay, Canada) considers personal vision in painting, particularly with regard to cultural notions of expression, and in particular, the sublime - a long-time topic for painting. Much of Glabush's sense of the construction of his own vision with regard to painting was formed living and working in variety of places such as Saskatchewan, Belize, California and Amsterdam. In 2024, Glabush will have a solo exhibition organized by Museum London (London, ON; touring dates TBD) accompanied by a major catalog. Sky Glabush is a writer as well as an artist; during Covid, Tate Magazine invited Glabush to write on the work of John Constable (1776-1837).
Kristy LUCK’s (b. 1985, Rockford, IL) paintings engage the tradition of depicting women in melancholic or revelatory states, while at the same time exploring aspects of her own personal background. Luck considers Modernism and its legacy with regard to individual voices and transformation. Kristy Luck’s work was recently currently featured in a solo show at Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, Brazil). Luck’s work has been the subject of reviews in Artforum, Art In America and Los Angeles Times.
In 2021 Artforum highlighted the work of Laurie NYE (b. 1972, Memphis, TN) as a "Best Of" with an art-historical essay written by critic Jane McFadden. Laurie Nye’s paintings of trees and gardens, rivers and birds have parallels in the work of American Pictorialist photographers like Anne Brigman, an artist who believed in using her medium to "create" images rather than simply record them. At the same time, in Nye's work there is a conversation with American modernism, especially as it appears in the South, and in the work of artists such as Beauford Delaney, who like Nye, is from Tennessee.
Oakland-based artist Muzae SESAY (b. 1989, Long Beach, CA) makes paintings that examine the world around him with an eye towards not only art history and artistic practice, but also the power of place and identity. Long interested in both sociology and architecture, Sesay's works take on the urban landscape, in particular. Sesay makes nuanced compositions that address the visual and emotional resonances of how we live together. With regard to how his paintings - which draw on a range of traditions - operate as art objects, Sesay proposes an intentionally open-ended narrative approach. He notes that, in his work, "Each viewer is a guest, encouraged to navigate the space with their unique perspective."
Kwame BRATHWAITE (b. 1938, New York, NY) is currently the subject of major touring exhibition, “Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful.” The exhibition opens at New-York Historical Society (New York, NY) this fall. “Kwame Brathwaite: Black Is Beautiful.” premiered at the Skirball Cultural Center (Los Angeles, CA); and travelled to the Museum of the African Diaspora (San Francisco, CA); Columbia Museum of Art (Columbia, SC); Blanton Museum of Art (Austin, TX); Detroit Institute of Arts (Detroit, MI); (Reynolda House, Winston-Salem, NC) with additional institutions forthcoming. A monograph of the same title, produced by the Aperture Foundation, was released May 2019 with essays by Deborah Willis, Professor and Chair of the Department of Photography and Imaging at Tisch School of the Arts of New York University and Tanisha C. Ford, Associate Professor of Black American Studies and History at the University of Delaware. Brathwaite's work is featured in the touring exhibition, “Black American Portraits,” which opened at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, (Los Angeles, CA); and travels to Spelman College Museum of Art (Atlanta, GA); and Memphis Brooks Museum of Art (Memphis, TN). Brathwaite's work recently appeared in “This Tender, Fragile Thing” at Jack Shainman Gallery (Kinderhook, NY); His work has recently been acquired by such institutions as Santa Barbara Museum of Art (Santa Barbara, CA); Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA); Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Houston, TX); Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, MN); Minnesota Museum of American Art (St. Paul, MN); Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis, MN); Block Museum of Art, Northwestern University (Chicago, IL); Pérez Art Museum Miami (Miami, FL); Columbia Museum of Art (Columbia, SC); National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution (Washington, DC); Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Philadelphia, PA); Rhode Island School of Design Museum (Providence, RI); Reynolda House (Winston-Salem, NC); New Orleans Museum of Art (New Orleans, LA); The Frances Young Tang Teaching Museum and Art Gallery at Skidmore College (Saratoga Springs, NY); Museum of the City of New York (New York, NY); The Studio Museum in Harlem (New York, NY); Museum of Modern Art (New York, NY); Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY); MIT List Visual Arts Center (Cambridge, MA); and Sharjah Art Museum (Sharjah, United Arab Emirates). Corporate collections include JPMorgan Chase Art Collection (New York, NY) and Sidley Austin LLP (New York, NY). Brathwaite’s work has recently appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, Vogue, New York Post, New York Magazine, Aperture, and other publications. Brathwaite lives and works in New York, NY.
Tomory DODGE (b. 1974, Denver, CO) received his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI) in 1998 and his MFA from California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA) in 2004. Recent solo exhibitions include Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); Miles McEnery Gallery (New York, NY); LUX Art Institute (Encinitas, CA); "Stranger Than Paradise," Rhode Island School of Design Museum (Providence, RI); "Grafforists," Torrance Art Museum (Torrance, CA); "Nowism," Pizzuti Collection (Columbus, OH); "An Appetite For Painting," National Museum (Oslo, Norway); "Pouring It On," Herter Art Gallery, University of Massachusetts (Amherst, MA); "Tomory Dodge and Denise Thomasos: Directions to a Dirty Place," Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art (Winston-Salem, NC); "Future Tense: Reshaping the Landscape," Neuberger Museum of Art (Purchase, NY); "American Soil," Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (Overland Park, KS); "Sheldon Survey," Sheldon Memorial Gallery, University of Nebraska (Lincoln, NE). His work is in the collections of such museums as Los Angeles County Museum of Art (Los Angeles, CA); Orange County Museum of Art (Newport Beach, CA); San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, (San Francisco, CA); Berkeley Art Museum and Pacific Film Archive (Berkeley, CA); Henry Art Gallery (Seattle, WA); Dallas Museum of Art (Dallas, TX); Nerman Museum of Contemporary Art (Overland Park, KS); Weisman Art Museum (Minneapolis, MN); Minneapolis Institute of Art (Minneapolis, MN); Orlando Museum of Art (Orlando, FL); Knoxville Museum of Art (Knoxville, TN); Abroms-Engel Institute for the Visual Arts at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (Birmingham, AL); Weatherspoon Art Museum (Greensboro, NC); Smithsonian American Art Museum (Washington, DC); RISD Museum, Rhode Island School of Design (Providence, RI); Yale University Art Gallery (New Haven, CT); and Whitney Museum of American Art (New York, NY). Dodge's work is the subject of several monographic catalogs and has been discussed in such publications as Artforum, Flash Art, Modern Painters, Art Review, Los Angeles Times, and The New York Times. Dodge lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
Sky GLABUSH (b. 1970 Alert Bay, BC) received his BFA from the University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK) and his MA from the University of Alberta (Edmonton, AB). Sky Glabush’s paintings were recently on view at National Gallery of Canada alongside peers like Peter Doig. In 2024, Sky Glabush’s work will be the subject of a solo exhibition organized by Museum London (London, ON). The show will be accompanied by a catalog. Current and upcoming group shows include Galerie Max Hetzler (Berlin, Germany) and Modern Art (London, UK). Glabush's work was just included in the group exhibition, "Unnatural Nature: Post-Pop Landscapes," at Acquavella (New York, NY). His work was recently the subject of “Weight of Light” at Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA). Previous exhibitions include “The Caged Lark,” Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); "Sky Glabush and Johannes Nagel," Cordonhaus Städtische Galerie Museum (Cham, Germany); “The Valley of Love,” Clint Roenisch Gallery (Toronto, ON); “Sky Glabush,” Projet Pangée (Montreal, QC); and “The Window is Also a Door,” Prosjektrom Normanns (Stavanger, Norway). Glabush's work has been included in exhibitions at University of Western Ontario (London, ON); Galerie de l’UQAM (Montréal, QC); and Rideau Hall (Ottawa, ON). Glabush is an associate professor of visual art at the University of Western Ontario (London, ON). Glabush’s work is included in such collections as National Gallery of Canada (Ottawa, ON); Alberta Foundation for the Arts (Calgary, AB); Bank of Montreal (Toronto, ON); Colart Collection (Montreal, QC); Ivey Collection (Toronto and London, ON); MacKenzie Art Gallery (Regina, SK); McIntosh Gallery, (London, ON); Mendel Art Gallery (Saskatoon, SK); Museum London (London, ON); University of Saskatchewan (Saskatoon, SK). His work has been featured in publications such as Tate Magazine, Canadian Art, Toronto Star, and Globe and Mail. Glabush lives and works in London, ON.
Kristy LUCK (b. 1985, Woodstock, IL) received a BFA from Rockford University (Rockford, IL) and an MFA from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago (Chicago, IL). In June 2022, Kristy Luck had a solo exhibition at Mendes Wood DM (São Paulo, Brazil). Luck’s solo July 2021 exhibition at Philip Martin Gallery was selected as an Artforum Critic’s Pick. Kristy Luck’s work has been the subject of solo exhibitions at Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); ODD ARK LA (Los Angeles, CA); Eastside International (Los Angeles, CA); and Tiger Strikes Asteroid (Chicago, IL). Additionally, her work has been included in group shows at Torrance Art Museum (Torrance, CA); Jacob’s West (Los Angeles, CA); 0-0LA (Los Angeles, CA); Guerrero Gallery (San Francisco, CA); Corbett vs. Dempsey (Chicago, IL); A Public Space (Fishers Island, New York); and Projet PangeĢe (Montreal, Canada). Luck was awarded the Lighthouse Works Fellowship in 2017. Her work has been featured in numerous publications including Artforum, Art in America, Los Angeles Times, Architectural Digest, Artillery Magazine, Whitehot Magazine, The Editorial Magazine, and Opening Ceremony. Luck lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
Laurie NYE (b. 1972, Memphis, TN) received her BFA from the Memphis College of Art (Memphis, TN), and her MFA from the California Institute of the Arts (Valencia, CA). Recent solo exhibitions include Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA) and a project at Van Doren Waxter (New York, NY). In December 2021, Laurie Nye’s solo exhibition, “It Wasn’t A Dream It Was A Flood,” at Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA) was an Artforum Best of Year 2021 feature. Recent group exhibitions include, "Unnatural Nature: Post-Pop Landscapes,” Acquavella (New York, NY)’ and "Here Comes the Suns," Bark Berlin Gallery (Berlin, Germany). In April 2021, Laurie Nye’s artist project, “Chickasaw Moon,” at Odd Ark (Los Angeles, CA) was the subject of an Artforum Critic’s Pick. Laurie Nye’s work has recently been the subject of solo and group exhibitions at Philip Martin Gallery (Los Angeles, CA); Bark Berlin Gallery (Berlin, Germany); The Pit (Glendale, CA), Odd Ark (Los Angeles, CA); Big Pictures LA (Los Angeles) Blake and Vargas, (Berlin, Germany); The Dot Project, (London, UK); Day and Night Gallery (Atlanta, GA); La Loma Projects, (Pasadena, CA); and Unpaved Gallery (Yucca Valley, CA). Her work has been reviewed in such publications as Artillery, Los Angeles Times, Artforum, FAD Magazine and LA Weekly. Nye lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.
Muzae SESAY (b. 1989, Long Beach, CA) was recently featured in "Night Painting" (Philip Martin Gallery, Los Angeles, CA). In 2020, Sesay's work was the subject of a solo project at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (San Francisco, CA). The work of Muzae Sesay has been featured in group exhibitions at UTA Artist Space (Los Angeles, CA) and San Jose Institute of Contemporary Art (San Jose, CA). Sesay's solo and group gallery exhibitions include Pt. 2 Gallery (Oakland, CA); Eighteen Gallery (Copenhagen, Denmark); Public Gallery (London, UK); Berggruen Gallery (San Francisco); and The Pit (Los Angeles, CA). Muzae Sesay's work has been featured in San Francisco Museum of Modern Art Magazine, Museum of the African Diaspora Magazine, Juxtpoz, Vice, Oakland Magazine and SF Weekly. Muzae Sesay lives and works in Oakland, CA.
Philip Martin Gallery is open Tuesday - Saturday from 10-5. For additional images, or information please email info@philipmartingallery.com, or call 310-559-0100.
Philip Martin Gallery is located at 2712 S. La Cienega Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90034 in the Culver City area of Los Angeles between Venice Blvd. and Washington Blvd., just south of the 10 Freeway
