We caught one of the blockbuster and much-anticipated shows of the spring this past weekend, the steller Shattered Glass group show curated by Melahn Frierson and AJ Girard on view now at Jeffrey Deitch in Los Angeles now. As always, the space creates a sense of something major, but what makes this show standout is the variety and boldness each work conveys in such a museum-like setting. Many of the artists in the show have been making waves in their own right, but seen together, with many of the paintings and sculptures in a large-scale, gives the viewer a chance to move around and get up-close to some of the best artists making work today.
As the name suggests, Shattered Glass sees "a group of 40 international artists of color whose subjects don’t ask, but rather demand to take up space." Many of the artists we have to know in the pages of Juxtapoz, from Amani Lewis to Mario Ayala, The Perez Brothers and Mr Wash, to artists we have been following over the past few years like Devin Reynolds, Lauren Halsey, Alfonso Gonzalez Jr, Jaime Muñoz and Simphiwe Ndzube. What Frierson and Girard have done so distinctly is give each artist space, with such a massive group show, that is a hard thing to do. Reynold's massive painting dominates a back wall, but has room to breath. Amani Lewis' works are intricate and layered, works we were so happy to finally see in person. Ndzube, who we have documented here many times over the past years, showed his unique blend of painting and sculpure.
As the press release states, "This past year’s civil rights movement and shifts in societies’ interactions alongside a global pandemic that disproportionately affects Black and Brown communities calls for meditative reimaginations of what world we would like to see ourselves in. Shattered Glass focuses on redefining the tradition of western figurative art through painting, sculpture and film. The artists explore and expand the possibilities of self-determination while situating their place in this flux system." Importantly, seeing this work together also gives each artist a place in the ever-evolving world of contemporary art. If there is one show in Los Angeles to put on your to-do list, make it this one. —Evan Pricco
