Mickalene Thomas USA, b. 1971
A, E, I, O, U (AND SOMETIMES Y) (IN TWO PARTS), 2009
rhinestone, acrylic and enamel on panel, in two parts
Two panels, 24 x 20 inches each
Two panels, 61 x 50.8 cm each
Two panels, 61 x 50.8 cm each
7727
These two panels were first exhibited as part of a 40-panel installation that formed the centerpiece of Mickalene Thomas's first New York solo exhibition in 2009. The installation was arranged...
These two panels were first exhibited as part of a 40-panel installation that formed the centerpiece of Mickalene Thomas's first New York solo exhibition in 2009. The installation was arranged in a grid, and a simplified color palette was chosen for the works. Visually, the individual works referenced the aesthetic of Andy Warhol's screenprints of celebrity faces, while the overall aesthetic of the installation referenced the colors and grid formation evident in Neo-Plastic works, such as Piet Mondrian's Broadway Boogie Woogie (1942-43). Thomas carefully chose her subjects for these works because they expand traditional definitions of beauty. Each image was created by projecting the image of her subject onto the canvas and then laying in rhinestones with chopsticks along the contour of the subject's face. The title of the piece is a reference to the popular club hit from the 1980s, “AEIOU and Sometimes Y,” by Ebn-Ozn.
Provenance
Lehman Maupin Gallery, New York, 2009Acquired by the above from the present owner in 2011