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Lyle Ashton Harris - Blow up

Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

February 8-May 27, 2008

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This exhibition is Lyle Ashton Harris's first major retrospective, spanning circa 20 prolific years from his career and it will debut new work inspired by his recent experiences in West Africa. A key figure since the 1990's, Harris first gained critical notice for his theatrical black-and-white self-portraits, in which he examined racial and gender identity, using the body as socio-psychological metaphor. As Anna Deavere Smith wrote (2002), 'Lyle's work questions the meaning of maleness and femaleness, not to mention of blackness and whiteness...Is it possible that, now, we can look at identity as a constellation: that each of us has inside of ourselves many fragments?' Harris has since moved from the self-as-subject to a broader interest in the anthropology of images-and the impact of globalization. A photojournalist (e.g. for New York Times Magazine) as well as a fine-art photographer, Harris is keenly aware of the power of images and the gravity at stake in their production. As Harris externalized his perspective, he similarly shifted from staged, studio photography to using found imagery in photomontage and collage. He pushes the potential of his medium by re-photographing, layering and (most recently) incorporating video. After receiving the Rome Prize in 2000, Harris turned his camera on the crowds and riot police at Italian soccer matches, examining the psychology and performative role of spectators. Acutely aware of the historical interrelationship of photography, colonialism and anthropology, Harris foregrounds socio-cultural context. In Ghana (where he has taught since 2005), he shot video footage of traditional musicians and dancers, fascinated by elements of masquerade. Harris is compelled by the tension between traditional African art and the infiltration of Western media culture. This project expands the notion of a mid-career survey. It is structured as a panoramic collage of photographs, video and sound, eschewing a strict chronology to instead highlight recurrent themes and narrative issues. The installation will further viewers' awareness of the conditional nature of photography and Harris's recombinant creative process. The exhibition will be accompanied by a 156 page catalog including an interview with the Harris and essays by noted Ghanaian scholar K. Anthony Appiah and art historian Sarah Lewis.

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• Ticket Info

  Tickets: $7/Adults, $5/Students, Free Admission for Children Under 12

• Dates & Times

  Dates:
  February 8-May 27, 2008

  Times:
  Tuesday-Wednesday 10:00am-5:00pm, Thursday-Saturday 10:00am-8:00pm, Sunday 12:00pm-5:00pm

• Venue Info

  Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art

  7374 East Second Street Scottsdale, AZ 85251

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  Scottsdale

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  Video | Images Images

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