Late Professor Emeritus Barkley Hendricks gets solo show at the Frick
The late Professor Emeritus of Studio Art Barkley L. Hendricks considered New York鈥檚 The Frick Collection鈥攚ith its iconic portraits by Rembrandt, Bronzino, Van Dyck, and others鈥攖o be one of his favorite museums.
This fall, Hendricks鈥檚 own paintings, which revolutionized contemporary portraiture with their vivid depictions of everyday Black Americans, are hanging alongside the work of the European greats in the first solo show dedicated to an artist of color in the Frick鈥檚 87-year history.
鈥淗endricks鈥檚 astonishing portraits of predominantly Black figures, not represented in the Frick鈥檚 historic paintings yet who, with their self-assured style, appear right at home among them, grants unprecedented opportunities to celebrate and explore the Frick鈥檚 collection, Hendricks鈥檚 groundbreaking innovations, and the bridges between them,鈥� said Frick curator Aimee Ng, who is organizing the show along with consulting curator Antwaun Sargent.
opened in September in the museum鈥檚 temporary space, Frick Madison, and features about a dozen of Hendricks鈥檚 large-scale paintings drawn from private and public collections. Along with the exhibition, Hendricks鈥檚 art and its impact is further explored through a richly illustrated exhibition catalogue with contributions by artists and creative figures, including Derrick Adams, Hilton Als, Nick Cave, Awol Erizku, Rashid Johnson, Fahamu Pecou, Mickalene Thomas and Kehinde Wiley. The Frick is also offering a robust roster of educational public programs to complement the show, which considers the complex place of European painting in Hendricks鈥檚 art and how his work, in turn, continues to inspire major artists and designers today.
鈥淧resenting Hendricks鈥檚 art at a storied institution like the Frick pays due tribute to the historic significance of Barkley L. Hendricks, and it also honors the evolving role of the Frick in modern American culture,鈥� said Sargent.
Read more about 鈥淏arkley L. Hendricks: Portraits at the Frick鈥� in the and . In 2017, Hendricks gave his final interview to CC Magazine.
