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WHITE HISTORY MONTH, VOL 1 Tylonn J. Sawyer

ABOUT THE ARTIST: Tylonn J. Sawyer (b. 1976) is an American figurative artist, educator, and curator living and working in Detroit, Michigan. His work centers around themes of identity, both individual and collective, politics, race, history and pop culture. Sawyer is a professor of art at Oakland Community College and teaches drawing at the College for Creative Studies in Detroit. In 2014, Sawyer started the first teen arts council in Michigan for the Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit. He earned an MFA in painting from the New York Academy of Art: Graduate School of Figurative Art and a BFA in drawing and painting from Eastern Michigan University. ABOUT THE EXHIBITION: Mining symbols of power and oppression from the historical strata of western art, Sawyer exposes truths, while covering others to gain a clearer picture of concepts that have shaped our current society. Within the context of his figurative drawings and paintings Sawyer presents an alternative to the historical record that often accompanies well known images throughout art history.

Inspired by current trends to redact post Civil War Confederate monuments from the American landscape, Sawyer poses the questions: Why are some symbols of oppression lauded, considered sacred and become canonized while others cause the public to demand their destruction? Is there a logical thread in the tapestry of oppression? Can this thread be observed and considered? Lastly, can this thread then be unraveled? Additionally, this exhibition featured a series of drawings titled Grâce Nóir, which featured Black women whose works have contributed to shaping the landscape of visual culture.

RELATED EVENTS: As part of his residency, Sawyer also worked with U-M students to create a mural to honor Samuel C. Watson, the first African American student admitted to the University of Michigan. The mural is on view on the first floor of MLB.

Opening Reception and Artist Conversation

LOOK 101: Seeing Art in an Instagram World, the Art of Tylonn J. Sawyer