at Roberts Projects, Los Angeles (through November 6, 2021)
Reviewed by Eve Wood
Amoako Boafo’s second exhibition at Roberts Projects, Singular Duality: Me Can Make We, represents an exploration into personal identity and the dualities that comprise and shape our human existence. On the surface, this exhibition both examines and celebrates the theme of Blackness, as each image is suggestive of empowerment and individuality. Yet upon deeper reflection, we see the artist pushing the limits of materiality and content in new and exciting ways. The result is a powerful and persuasive body of work, one which serves as a compelling visual testament to the beauty of the Black experience.
Expounding on themes of identity, Boafo has created a series of portraits that not only identify significant individuals in his life, but he also creates a palpable tension between the figures and the shadows they individually cast. One can read this duality either literally or metaphorically – the literal shadow representing the more formal aspects of the image, i.e. the play of light and color, which are never conjoined but stand in opposition to one another; or metaphorically in that the shadows hint at unknown aspects of human consciousness. Either way, the shadows become unique characters in and of themselves. Featureless, their power derives from gesture rather than specific identifiable characteristics. These gestures, simplified and muted, are also suggestive of mystery, or hidden untapped power. They are simultaneously connected and separated, and Boafo further accentuates this fact by coloring the shadows in more muted tones, creating a series of uniquely electrifying double portraits, and in some cases, as with the wonderfully enigmatic Yellow Beret, the main figure quite literally showcases his own likeness on his shirt all the while holding a yellow bloom that matches his beret. This playful triangulation of color draws the image together in new and unexpected ways.
Boafo uses color to further delineate character, and often these delineations are quite playful. For example, in the painting Green Handbag, the woman’s shadow is purple and much lighter in tone than her skin. As with the painting Yellow Beret, the singularity of the figure is showcased by the background color which includes the other elements within the painting: the flower, the handbag, the shadows, etc.
Still other images are even more light-hearted. Monstera Leaf Sleeves is remarkable for both its sparseness and opulence. The man’s yellow shirt is nearly one with the background, so he appears to blend effortlessly into the surrounding space. Yet the sleeves of his shirt with its motif of large green leaves, serves to anchor the image, wherein the young man’s hands, loosely rendered in various streaks of blues and blacks, are further activated and energized, drawing our attention at last to the singular red and yellow blooms in his left hand.
Other images utilize color in surprising ways. In Red Collar, for example, two figures stand together, one of whom holds a small dog wearing a bright red collar. Boafo ingeniously connects the figures through his use of colored lines, as the dog’s red collar is picked up in the young woman’s dress. The dress itself appears as a charged object as the colors are red, white and blue, the colors of the American Flag, however, Boafo has added three singular black lines within the framework of the dress, which could be read as a subtle act of defiance. The black lines do not interrupt the design, but are integrated seamlessly, further suggesting the hidden power of the woman, entirely elegant, wearing it.
Portraiture is certainly nothing new in terms of artistic practice, and it is one of the earliest subjects in the oeuvre of painting as a whole, so it would be difficult to add to that venerable tradition in terms of freshness or originality. Boafo’s loosely rendered approach, however, to skin tones and the features of his figures, is not only unusual but is also entirely beautiful. The black tones, iridescent and rich, are further amplified by streaks of blue and purple, which creates depth within the images. There is also a sense of implied movement here as the paint writhes and shifts, almost as though the skin of these fluid subjects were further liquidized. It’s as if Boafo’s painting hand were literally his fingers, using no brush at all. This impression only adds to the immediacy and luster of the images individually and as a group. Each painting informs the next in terms subject matter and materiality, creating a richly complicated and ever burgeoning conversation between the viewer, the artist and his subjects, all of whom have much to say, and the pleasure is all ours.
Featured Image: Amoako Boafo’s White Nail Polish, 2021
©Thomas Amoako Boafo, 2021. Courtesy of the artist and Roberts Projects Los Angeles, California; Photo Paul Salveson
♦
Eve Wood is Los Angeles Art Critic for Riot Material Magazine. Ms. Wood’s poetry and art criticism have appeared in many magazines and journals including Artillery, Whitehot, Art & Cake, The New Republic, The Denver Quarterly, Triquarterly, Flash Art, Angelino Magazine, New York Arts, The Atlantic Monthly, Artnet.com, Artillery, Tema Celeste, Art Papers, ArtUS, Art Review, and LatinArt.com. She is the author of five books of poetry. Also an artist, her work has been exhibited at Susanne Vielmetter and Western Project and Tiger Strikes Asteroid in New York. Wood is currently represented by Track 16 Gallery in Los Angeles.
Leave a Reply