Page 38 - ART GIANTS issue of World of Art (WOA) Contemporary Art Magazine

WORLD-CLASS ART JACK WHITTEN:

THE MESSENGER

The Museum of Modern Art presents Jack Whitten: The
Messenger, the first major retrospective celebrating the
groundbreaking work of American artist Jack Whitten
(1939–2018). Running from March 23 to August 2, 2025,
in the Steven and Alexandra Cohen Center for Special
Exhibitions, this exclusive MoMA exhibition showcases
over 175 works spanning Whitten's nearly six-decade
career. It features paintings, sculptures, rarely seen
Jack Whitten. NY Battle Ground. 1967. Oil on canvas, 60 × 83 7/8" (152.4×213
works on paper, and archival materials, offering a cm). The Museum of Modern Art, New York. Purchase and gift of Sandra and
comprehensive look at his revolutionary approach to Tony Tamer, Agnes Gund, Marlene Hess and James D. Zirin, and Pamela J.
Joyner and Alfred J. Giuffrida. © 2025 The Museum of Modern Art, New York,
artmaking.
Photo by Jonathan Muzikar.
Whitten emerged during the Civil Rights era, navigating
the pressure to create overtly representational work.
Instead, he pioneered new forms of abstraction that His art transcended conventional boundaries, weaving
reshaped the relationship between art, history, and together influences from photography, sculpture,
society. printmaking, music, and technology. As Chief Curator
Michelle Kuo notes, his monumental works engage
with pivotal moments in history, from the Civil Rights
movement to cosmic discoveries, challenging distinctions
Jack Whitten. The Afro American Thunderbolt. 1983/1984. Black mulberry
wood with copper plate and nails, 25×9×10" (63.5 22.9×25.4 cm). Jack between abstraction and representation, race and
Whitten Estate. Courtesy the Estate and Hauser & Wirth. © Jack Whitten nation, and individual identity within global history.
Estate. Courtesy the Estate and Hauser & Wirth, Photo by Genevieve Hanson.

38 WORLD of ART