What a difference 15 years makes. When British artist Chris Ofili showed his painting of a black Virgin Mary that incorporates elephant dung at the Brooklyn Museum in 1999, then-Mayor Rudolph Giuliani called it "sick stuff" and threatened to cut the museum's city subsidies.
Ofili's work, including that Madonna, is now back in town for his first U.S. retrospective, “Chris Ofili: Night and Day,” at the New Museum. In this interview, art critic Deborah Solomon said it's a "fabulous" show.
The exhibition includes several of Ofili’s early paintings created using paint, resin, glitter and often elephant dung. Solomon explained Ofili is of Nigerian descent and dung is actually seen in Africa as a construction material. "I think he was interested in dung because it comes from Africa, and it ties in with stereotypes that we have about Africans being noble savages."
Solomon said Ofili came of age in the 90's, which was the decade of identity politics in art. But she explained that Ofili never made didactic art. "He does explore issues of black representation and racial stereotypes, but he welds that whole line of inquiry with the most decorative and lyrical tradition in art," she said. "Think of identity politics plus Matisse."
The show also includes several works Ofili completed in Trinidad, where he moved to in 2005 so he could escape the British art world. They include nine works from his “The Blue Rider” series, brought together for the first time, in a dim-lit room designed by the artist. The paintings are rooted in the culture of Trinidad, but also comment on political issues like police brutality.
Solomon said since the paintings and the room are so dark, one needs time to understand what they portray, and to witness their menacing feeling. "The only way to experience them is to see them in person and I hope everyone will go, including Rudy Giuliani," said Solomon.
Do you think Rudolph Giuliani should go see Ofili's show at the New Museum? Why or why not? Join the conversation.
You can watch Ofili in conversation with New Museum's artistic director Massimiliano Gioni here.
