Kind of Blue, 2020, Claudette Elaine Johnson, Gouache, pastel ground and pastel, 48 × 60 inches (121.9 × 152.4 cm). © Claudette Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate. (detail)
Kind of Blue, 2020, Claudette Elaine Johnson, Gouache, pastel ground and pastel, 48 × 60 inches (121.9 × 152.4 cm). © Claudette Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate. (detail)
Download
10
September
2024
|
12:51 PM
America/New_York

The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure

This exploration of the rich complexity of Black life makes its North American debut in Philadelphia

November 9, 2024 – February 9, 2025
Dorrance Galleries
  • Self Reflection, from the Della Robske series. Roundel. Roberto Lugo, 2023, Glazed stoneware, birch, and laquer, 64 1/2 × 64 1/2 × 5 inches, 50 lb. (163.8 × 163.8 × 12.7 cm, 22.68 kg), Courtesy of the Artist and R & Company, TAN-207
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Le Rodeur: Exchange, (2016), Lubaina Himid, Acrylic on canvas, 6 1/16 × 8 feet 1/16 inches (183 × 244 cm), © Lubaina Himid. Courtesy of the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Tobi, Jennifer Packer, 2019, Oil on canvas, 28 1/2 × 22 inches (72.4 × 55.9 cm), Private Collection, courtesy of Sikkema Jenkins & Co., TAN-227
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • The Marchioness, Toyin Ojih Odutola, Charcoal, pastel and pencil on paper, 77 1/2 × 50 1/2 inches (196.8 × 128.3 cm)
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • She was learning to love moments, to love moments for themselves, Amy Sherald, Oil on canvas, 54 1/8 × 43 inches (137.5 × 109.2 cm)
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Nanny Of The Maroons' Fifth Act Of Mercy, Kimathi Donkor, Oil on linen, 6 feet 10 11/16 inches × 64 15/16 inches × 1 3/16 inches (210 × 165 × 3 cm)
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • And the Clamour Became a Voice E Il Clamore è Divenuto Voce, Arthur Timothy, 2023, Oil on linen, 59 1/16 inches × 6 feet 6 3/4 inches × 1 inches (150 × 200, 2.6 cm), Purchased with the George W. Elkins Fund, 2024, 2024-35-1
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • After the Dance, 2022, Danielle Joy Mckinney, Acrylic on canvas, 40 × 30 inches (101.6 × 76.2 cm), © Danielle Mckinney. Courtesy of the artist, Marianne Boesky Gallery, New York and Aspen
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Murapi, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, 2023, UV print, oil, charcoal, and acrylic on canvas 69 11/16 × 61 7/16 inches (177 × 156 cm), Private Collection, TAN-194
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Yvonne and James, Jordan Casteel, Oil on canvas, 7 feet 6 inches × 6 feet 6 inches (228.6 × 198.1 cm)
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Son, it’s time, Deborah Roberts, 2022, Mixed media and collage on canvas 65 × 45 inches (165.1 × 114.3 cm), Framed: 67 1/8 × 47 3/16 inches (170.5 × 119.8 cm), Private Collection, New York, Courtesy of AWG Art Advisory TAN-223
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Kind of Blue, 2020, Claudette Elaine Johnson, Gouache, pastel ground and pastel, 48 × 60 inches (121.9 × 152.4 cm). © Claudette Johnson. Courtesy the artist and Hollybush Gardens, London. Photo: Andy Keate.
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Buck Nasty: Player Haters Ball, 2017, Nathaniel Mary Quinn, Black charcoal, gouache, soft pastel, oil pastel, and acrylic gold powder on Coventry Vellum paper, 34 1/2 × 35 inches (87.6 × 88.9 cm), (Hall Collection) © Nathaniel Mary Quinn Photo: Michael Tropea. Courtesy of the artist and Gagosian
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
  • Peter's Series – Back, 2008, Hurvin Anderson, Oil on canvas, 73 5/8 x 57 7/8 in. © Hurvin Anderson. Courtesy the artist and Thomas Dane Gallery. Photo: Catherine Wharfe
    Important: By downloading this image, you are agreeing to the following permissions: Images are provided exclusively to the press, and only for purposes of publicity for the duration of an exhibition at the PMA. The Museum grants permission to use images only to the extent of its ownership rights relating to those images--the responsibility for any additional permissions remains solely with the party reproducing the images. In addition, the images must be accompanied by the credit line and any copyright information as it appears above, and the party reproducing the images must not distort or mutilate the images.
Download

September 10, 2024 – The Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) is pleased to announce further details of The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure, a major exhibition expanded for its premiere in the U.S. This exhibition features 28 Black and African diasporic contemporary artists who use figurative painting, drawing and sculpture to illuminate and celebrate the nuance and richness of Black contemporary life. Through their work, these artists invite us to consider Blackness as a lived experience rather than as a biological fact.

Curated by British writer and curator Ekow Eshun, The Time is Always Now takes its title from an essay on desegregation by American writer and social rights activist James Baldwin. It highlights a sense of urgency around contemporary artistic expression, while acting as a reminder that Black artists exist within an always-evolving artistic lineage.

Traveling to the PMA from the National Portrait Gallery in London, the artists in this exhibition work in the U.S. and the U.K., including Michael Armitage, Claudette Johnson, Kerry James Marshall, Toyin Ojih Odutola, and Amy Sherald, among others. For the show’s Philadelphia presentation, six artists working in the U.S. and U.K, have been added including Jonathan Lyndon Chase, Kudzanai-Violet Hwami, Roberto Lugo, Danielle Mckinney, Deborah Roberts, and Arthur Timothy.

The more than 60 contemporary works featured in this exhibition unfold around three core themes: Double Consciousness, Past and Presence and Our Aliveness. Double Consciousness, a theory first introduced in 1897 by the African American sociologist W.E.B Du Bois, explores concepts of being, belonging and Blackness as a psychological state. Works including Amy Sherald’s grayscale portraits, a cast-bronze self-portrait sculpture by Wangechi Mutu, and Nathaniel Mary Quinn's fragmented portraits examine the ways in which artists see themselves, as well as how they are seen and framed by others, navigating real and imagined identities.

Past and Presence explores the absence of Black figures in many mainstream narratives and shows how artists have responded. Barbara Walker, for example, recreates historical portraits with graphite and embossing, reconfiguring Western art history to give primary focus to the Black subject. This section continues with works by Kimathi Donkor, Godfried Donkor and Lubaina Himid, who use the tradition of history painting to restage overlooked narratives and elevate Black protagonists.

Our Aliveness features assertions and celebrations of Black assembly and gathering, including a painting by Hurvin Anderson, unpacking the cultural significance of the barbershop to the Caribbean diasporic community. While many of the exhibited artworks depict scenes of joyful gathering, references are also made to histories of segregation and oppositions to public expressions of Black sociality. The works of Jordan Casteel capture encounters on the streets of Harlem, turning her sitters from anonymous passersby to portraits brimming with personality.

“We’re thrilled to work with Ekow Eshun to bring this exhibition to Philadelphia,” said Sasha Suda, the George D. Widener Director and CEO of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. “Filled with personal narratives, these richly talented artists are addressing urgent and important topics. We’re honored to present this show to our local communities and welcome the important conversations that each of these pieces will inspire.”

"The Time is Always Now celebrates a period of extraordinary flourishing in the work of artists from the African diaspora,” said the show’s curator, Ekow Eshun. “My hope is that the exhibition encourages audiences to look more closely at the imaginative reach of the exhibiting artists, the ways they are illuminating the richness and complexity of Black life through figuration, and simultaneously asking searching questions about race, identity and history, all while creating artworks that are never less than dazzling."

“Working with Eshun and London’s National Portrait Gallery, we are able to build on this collaboration by adding artists whose work will amplify the experience for our Philadelphia and U.S. audiences,” said Erica Battle, John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Curator of Contemporary Art. 

The Time is Always Now features works by Njideka Akunyili Crosby (b. 1983, Nigeria), Hurvin Anderson (b. 1965, UK), Michael Armitage (b. 1984, Kenya), Jordan Casteel (b. 1989, USA), Noah Davis (b. 1983; d. 2015, USA), Godfried Donkor (b. 1964, Ghana), Kimathi Donkor (b. 1965, UK), Denzil Forrester (b. 1956, Grenada), Lubaina Himid (b. 1954, Sultanate of Zanzibar), Claudette Johnson (b. 1959, UK), Titus Kaphar (b. 1976, USA), Kerry James Marshall (b. 1955, USA), Wangechi Mutu (b. 1972, Kenya), Chris Ofili (b. 1968, UK), Toyin Ojih Odutola (b. 1985, Nigeria), Jennifer Packer (b. 1984, USA), Thomas J Price (b. 1981, UK), Nathaniel Mary Quinn (b. 1977, USA), Lorna Simpson (b. 1960, USA), Amy Sherald (b. 1973, USA), Henry Taylor (b. 1958, USA), and Barbara Walker (b. 1964, UK).

The exhibition has been extended for the PMA to include works by Jonathan Lyndon Chase (b. 1989, USA), Kudzanai-Violet Hwami (b. 1993, Zimbabwe), Roberto Lugo (b. 1981, USA), Danielle Mckinney (b. 1981, USA), Deborah Roberts (b. 1960, USA) and Arthur Timothy (b. 1957, Ghana).

The Time is Always Now is organized by the National Portrait Gallery, London, in collaboration with the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It will be supported by a series of public programs, including student tours, educational guides, and family programming.

The organizing curator is Ekow Eshun, guest curator for the National Portrait Gallery, London, and the supporting curator is Sarah Howgate, Senior Curator of Contemporary Collections at the National Portrait Gallery, London. In Philadelphia, the exhibition is curated by Erica F. Battle, John Alchin and Hal Marryatt Curator of Contemporary Art, with Yocari De Los Santos, Constance E. Clayton Fellow. 

Tickets for The Time is Always Now will go on sale October 1, 2024.

Public and Family Programming
Saturday, November 9, 2024, 2:30pm
Panel discussion with curator Ekow Eshun and artists in exhibition.

Saturday, November 9, 2024, 11:30am & 1:30pm
Live choral performance of a newly commissioned piece by Julianknxx, accompanied by a local Philadelphia choir.

Sunday, November 10, 2024
Film screening, hosted in partnership with BlackStar, showing a series of short films reflecting on Black identity.

Sunday, December 1, 2024, 10:00 am - 3:00 pm
Pay What You Wish Sunday Family Festival inspired by works in the exhibition. 

Throughout December 2024
Drop in Art Kids tours and studio activities inspired by the exhibition.

Select days between Christmas and New Years
Winter Break Pop-Up Studio: Local artists demonstrate their making techniques inspired by the exhibition.

Sunday, February 2, 2025
Pay What You Wish Sunday Family Festival inspired by the exhibition and Black History Month.

Press Preview
The exhibition will be open to media on the afternoon of November 7, 2024 from 1 p.m. - 4 p.m. ET. Individual viewings can be arranged by contacting the pressroom at pressroom@philamuseum.org.

Exhibition Support
Bank of America is the National Sponsor. 

At Bank of America, we believe that investing in arts helps build communities and positively impacts the lives of our clients and employees. We are pleased to support The Time is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (PMA) and at the North Carolina Museum of Art in 2025 as National Sponsor. Bank of America previously served as Presenting Sponsor when this exhibition opened at the National Portrait Gallery in London in February of 2024. 

This sponsorship follows other exhibitions at the Philadelphia Museum of Art that Bank of America has supported, including Jasper Johns: Mind/Mirror (2021), The Impressionist's Eye (2019) and Paint the Revolution: Mexican Modernism 1910 – 1950 (2016). The PMA was also awarded grants from the Bank of America Art Conservation Project to restore The Great Bathers by Pierre-Auguste Renoir and the iconic Diana sculpture by Augustus Saint-Gaudens. 

“Our company and teammates take pride in supporting this landmark exhibition exploring Black contemporary life,” said Jim Dever, president, Bank of America Greater Philadelphia. “We look forward to presenting this important collection of works by Black and African diasporic artists in partnership with the Philadelphia Museum of Art.”

Bank of America supports a wide range of local and global nonprofit organizations through funding and programming. We aim to drive engagement, promote cultural sustainability, and expand the accessibility and inclusivity of the arts in the communities we serve. 

bofA

The Time Is Always Now: Artists Reframe the Black Figure is made possible by the Daniel W. Dietrich II Fund for Excellence in Contemporary Arts, Robert Montgomery Scott Endowment for Exhibitions, Kathleen C. and John J. F. Sherrerd Fund for Exhibitions, Lois G. and Julian A. Brodsky Installation and Exhibition Fund, Jill and Sheldon Bonovitz Fund for Exhibitions, Amachie K. Ackah and Carra Cote-Ackah, John Alchin and Hal Marryatt, Ms. Hope R. D'Oyley-Gay, Jaimie and David Field, Arthur M. Kaplan and R. Duane Perry, Barbara A. Podell and Mark G. Singer, Ms. Jennifer Rice and Mr. Michael Forman, Katherine Sachs, Vesna Todorović Sacks and Howard J. Sacks, and Karen Goodman Tarte.

All exhibitions at the PMA are underwritten by the Annual Exhibition Fund. Annual support is provided by Andrea Baldeck, M.D., Julia and David Fleischner, and Mr. Robert Hayes and Mrs. Julie Hayes.

Media Contact: 
Maggie Fairs, Philadelphia Museum of Art
maggie.fairs@philamuseum.org | 267.768.1163

About the Philadelphia Museum of Art
The Philadelphia Museum of Art is a national and international destination for art, but first, we are Philadelphia’s Museum of Art—for all the many diverse communities of the city. Through our collections, exhibitions, events, educational activities, celebrations, and more, the PMA is a storyteller, and we welcome everyone to be part of the story—our doors are wide open. To learn more, visit www.philamuseum.org.

Instagram/Facebook/X/Threads/YouTube: @philamuseum
TikTok: @philaartmuseum 

About the National Portrait Gallery, London
Founded in 1856, the National Portrait Gallery in London tells the story of Britain through portraits, using art to bring history to life and explore living today. From global icons, to unsung heroes, our Collection is filled with the stories that have shaped, and continue to shape a nation. We celebrate the power of portraiture and offer encounters with some of the world’s greatest and most exciting new artists, promoting engagement with portraiture in all media to a wide- ranging public by conserving, growing and sharing the world’s largest collection of portraits.
https://www.npg.org.uk/