It almost felt like a typo when we put Kara Walker in the Illustration department, but this series, Drawings, from her personal archive, is an amazing collection and insight into her practice as one of the leading contemporary artists of her generation. As we all adjust to such crazy times and unexpected postponements of art activities, we wanted to make sure that our readers indeed get a chance to check some images from Walker's newest show at Sikkema Jenkins & Co in NYC. As the gallery notes, "the show previews a selection of works that will be included in Walker’s first major exhibition in Switzerland at the Kunstmuseum Basel opening in May 2020." We hope this still happens.
One of the highlights of the showcase in NYC is the works of Walker focusing on former President Obama, placing him in context of Othello, Saint Anthony and other allegorical historical perspectives. As the gallery points out, "The figures within Walker’s drawings insist upon themselves as the protagonists of a new mythology, a narrative revealed to us through bodies and words and unspeakable acts."
