The inaugural edition of The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition brings together more than 200 artists to celebrate the diversity and creativity of this beloved borough. We asked a select few to reflect on their pieces, and we were intrigued and touched by how often family came up. Keep scrolling to see how these artists incorporated loved ones into their art.
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Popeye 0100 by Jonathan Allen
The Popeye series of paintings was born from the experience of trying to help my mentally ill, homeless brother. While living in Prospect Park he would leave me books with notes scribbled in them, placed at my front door. I saved them, agonizing over how to use them in my practice. One of these books was an anthology of Popeye cartoons, which I collaged into these works. Popeye 0100 is one of six paintings in the series.
Making these paintings was in many ways my way of processing this challenging, emotional time, a broader meditation on mental health, how we care, and brotherhood. Popeye 0100 is the darkest painting in this series of six, and the densest in its use of shadow. The architecture and structure of this painting refers to the complex alternate reality that schizophrenia constructs in the victim’s mind.
Searching for the Shadow of the Sun by Scott Albrecht
Searching for the Shadow of the Sun came from a processing of a family member’s diagnosis of dementia and the severity of that situation. Searching for the Shadow of the Sun is meant to be a familiar metaphor for processing and attempting to search for something that doesn’t exist. Ultimately, you have to learn to accept and live with the conclusion but the path to get there is not as straightforward as the end might suggest. The search is hopeful, despite its conclusion, and ultimately informs the perspective and feeling of arriving at acceptance.
The piece is made up of individually cut pieces that are reassembled and meant to underscore the complexity and nuance of the circumstance in that it’s not about any one piece, but all coming together to complete the larger idea.
Gram’s Door by Wendy Cohen
Everyday objects hold memories of touch, connecting us to those who are no longer with us. This crocheted recreation of my grandmother’s front door weaves in the original doorknobs, locks, and other mechanical parts. Gram walked through this door—her hands held these doorknobs and turned these locks—every day for 30 years. These objects become vessels of her time and touch, much like crochet transforms yarn into collections of my own time and touch.
My sister and I now live in Gram’s apartment, surrounding by her memory. When building management decided to replace the original door fixtures, I asked if I could keep them. The work also incorporates four pieces contributed by my sister, mom, aunt, and girlfriend. Together we honor Gram, who passed away six years ago.
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From the top: Jonathan Allen, Popeye 0100, 2021. Paper and acrylic on canvas. Courtesy of the artist. © Jonathan Allen. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist); Scott Albrecht. Searching for the Shadow of the Sun, 2023. Acrylic on wood relief. Courtesy of the artist. © Scott Albrecht. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist); Wendy Cohen. Gram's Door, 2024. Yarn, doorknobs, locks, wooden bars, and metal door parts. Courtesy of the artist. © Wendy Cohen. (Photo: Courtesy of the artist); Visitors at the Brooklyn Museum, 2024. (Photo: Adrianna Glaviano)
The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition is organized by Jeffrey Gibson, Vik Muniz, Mickalene Thomas, and Fred Tomaselli and coordinated by Sharon Matt Atkins, Deputy Director for Art; Lauren Bierly, Senior Exhibition Project Manager; and Jennie Tang, Special Exhibition Administrator; with support from Kimberli Gant, Curator, Modern and Contemporary Art; Carmen Hermo, former Associate Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art; and Catherine Morris, Senior Curator, Elizabeth A. Sackler Center for Feminist Art, Brooklyn Museum.
With tremendous gratitude, we thank the Brooklyn Museum Board of Trustees for their visionary support and commitment to the breadth of Museum and citywide celebrations as we embark on our 200th year. It is with appreciation to them and to the supporters of The Brooklyn Artists Exhibition that we are honored to present the works of local artists who make our community what it is today.
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