CONTEMPORALOUISIANARY
PRESENTED BY
2022
925 CAMP STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 504.539.9650 | OGDENMUSEUM.ORG FRONT COVER: ALLUVIUM ENSEMBLE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW YORK NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE, SOUNDING IN FATHOMS (DETAIL), 2020, DIGITAL PHOTO COLLAGE, ELECTRONICALLY PROCESSED ACOUSTIC MUSIC, COLLECTION OF THE ARTISTS
Letter from the Executive Director Juror’s Statement Louisiana Contemporary Presented by The Helis Foundation Valerie Cassel Oliver Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Acknowledgements 4746321 LOUISIANA CONTEMPORARY PRESENTED BY
Our gratitude continues for The Helis Foundation, for their presentation of this exhibition and all that process entails, and for supporting this idea of a community of Louisiana artists with The Helis Foundation Art Prize, and unrestricted gift that inspires growth and renewal.
Louisiana Contemporary , presented by The Helis Foundation is organized at Ogden Museum of Southern Art by Amy Newell, Exhibitions Specialist, with Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection and Collections Manager, Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography and Chief Preparator, Samantha Scoggins, Coordinator for Curatorial Affairs and Collections and Selina McKane, Coordinator for Executive and Exhibition Affairs. Their efforts are assisted by Claire Wilkinson, Interim Deputy Director of Administration and Capri Guarisco, Marketing and Communications Specialist—who both gain support for the exhibition and promote every aspect.
This annual exploration of our collective contemporary viewpoint happens with enough frequency that the afterimage of the previous installation barely fades from the mind’s eye before the new iteration is being installed. Gathering energy and keeping momentum is part of this yearly cycle. The frequency of this practice has become the foundation of the investigation into our notions of the space where art and place intersect, particular to the state of Louisiana and the artists who reside within.
William Pittman Andrews Executive Director Ogden Museum of Southern Art
Once again the organization of this exhibition occurs during radically changing times among profoundly altered traditions. Everyone has become familiar with adaptation as a survival skill. The sustained presence of any culture or custom is comforting and reassuring that our other rituals will continue. During a prolonged moment when so many things feel conditional, it’s tremendously inspiring to open Louisiana Contemporary , presented by The Helis Foundation in a familiar manner.
We are all thankful for the inspired participation of our juror, Valerie Cassel Oliver, Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts.
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I’m grateful to the Board and Staff of Ogden Museum. Their work is tireless in support of our educational mission, as we explore the many facets of Southern Identity through our shared art, history and culture.
LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
In eleven of these cycles, within the span of a decade, a distinctive artistic legacy has been established and a community has taken shape. A group of jurors - themselves a society - have reviewed innumerable works of art by hundreds of artists who have chosen to make this place their home. Just as these jurors bring breadth of experience outside of this institution and far beyond this place, the artists have multitudes of senses, observations and expressions. This idea was created for them and since the beginning, there have been precious few requirements for artistic participation. For our purposes and theirs, Art is anything you can do with intent plus material.
Whether the concept of community is something prescribed from the beginning or exists as something we accept as an afterthought is not a great concern. It develops when the call for artists goes out and is renewed at each moment a viewer encounters a works of art in the galleries. Artists sharing their vision and craft in Louisiana Contemporary never deter from commenting on the way they see the world we live in and, more importantly, on the world we don’t always see as clearly as they do. The artists are finding our way forward, or through, and the work they do gives us tools which inspire our own progress. This exhibition is one of the most important things we do to both capture the present moment and to also have a history and tradition to look back upon from the future.
Now, more than ever, we need art that is deliberate and intentional. It has been an immense honor to serve as juror for this exhibition and to encounter new artists as well as celebrate those that I know well. Congratulations. And to those artists who submitted work but were not selected, your work is no less impactful, and I encourage each of you in your continued practice. It is evident from all concerned that Louisiana has a dynamic community of artists, and it is simply inspiring to see its evolution continue.
Valerie Cassel Oliver Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Virginia Museum of Fine Arts
Undertaking the role of juror is always a daunting task. On one hand, it provides a wonderful opportunity to learn about the arts community of a particular place. On the other, it brings with it some anxiety because – is it really possible to gauge the full vitality of such a dynamic community? The reality is no…it is not possible, however, what was possible to do, was to compose a cross-section, a vibrant composite of this community. What is presented in the exhibition and within the pages of this accompanying publication makes for a compelling story. Overall, I selected works that “spoke” to me…that affirmed and, in some cases, pushed the boundaries of genres like painting, photography and sculpture. In their totality, the collective works offer a foray into the zeitgeist of the contemporary moment. Since the last Louisiana Contemporary , the nation and the global community continue to grapple with a global pandemic and the crippling realities of health and economic disparities; the ongoing barbarism of racism; catastrophic climate change; political crisis and a profound lack of civility. On so many levels the works selected have wrestled with the issues inherent in current encounters and /or the residual experiences of the past two years. Moreover, each artist has dealt with the enormity of those issues and the anxiety of uncertainty through their own unique visual language. Artists have always sought to frame the world and its crisis by either providing a window into the beauty that can sustain us or to the horror that compels us. What is also visible within the selections here…are the effects of these crisis upon our lives – the loss, isolation and revelations.
JUROR'S STATEMENT
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3 ALLUVIUM ENSEMBLE IN COLLABORATION WITH THE NEW YORK NEW MUSIC ENSEMBLE Jefferson, Louisiana Sounding in Fathoms Digital2020 photo collage, electronically processed acoustic music Collection of the artists
4 MUSA ALVES New Orleans, Louisiana Central City Cowboys Oil2020on canvas 48 x 80 Collectioninchesofthe artist
5 LUIS CRUZ AZACETA New Orleans, Louisiana POSTCARDS FROM UKRAINE 111 Acrylic2022 on canvas 48 x 72 Collectioninchesofthe artist, Courtesy of Arthur Roger Gallery
6 PETER BARNITZ Kenner, Louisiana Possibilities Mixed2022 media on wood panel 39 x 24 x 52 inches Collection of the artist Dissection Mixed2020 media on hand cut canvas 52 x 52 Collectioninchesofthe artist
7 ERIK BARTHELS Mandeville, Louisiana Sulphur Sonics Acrylic2022 on paper and canvas 40 x 30 Collectioninchesofthe artist Re-rooting Acrylic2022 on paper, decal on canvas 40 x 30 Collectioninchesofthe artist
8 JACKSUN BEIN Mandeville, Louisiana It’ll Leak and You Can’t Do Nothing About It! Wood,2022 boundary ribbon, nails 51 x 10 x 3 inches Collection of the artist Clear Water (After on Kawara) Dates2022 of Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Ida's landfalls etched in Futura bold font on mirror, perpendicular walls/doorway 12 x 16 Collectioninchesofthe artist
9 THOM BENNETT New Orleans, Louisiana Empty Sign #4 Silver2021 gelatin print 5 x 5 Collectioninchesof the artist Empty Sign #2 Silver2021 gelatin print 5 x 5 Collectioninchesof the artist
10 Empty Sign #4 Silver2021 gelatin print 5 x 5 Collectioninchesof the artist THOM BENNETT New Orleans, Louisiana
11 JESSICA BIZER New Orleans, Louisiana Dreamwalls Projection2022 on metal wind spinner 3 x 3 x 6 Collectioninchesofthe artist
12 Ida & Dee Digital2021 photography 14 x 22 Collectioninchesofthe artist KATIE CLARK Slidell, Louisiana Wind Digital2021 photography 14 x 11 Collectioninchesofthe artist
13 DERRON COOK Reserve, Louisiana Machete Woman (1811 Freedom or Death Series) Digital2020 photography 20 x 14 Collectioninchesofthe artist
14 SETH COOK Broussard, Louisiana Mausoleum Medium2021 format black and white analog photograph 16 x 16 Collectioninchesofthe artist
15 BEN DEPP New Orleans, Louisiana A Life Ring Floats Near a Wrecked Boat After Hurricane Ida. Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, 2021 Pigment2021 print made from aerial photograph 24 x 32 Collectioninchesofthe artist
16 MICHAEL EBLE Lafayette, Louisiana Navy Passages Acrylic,2022 collaged paper and graphite on canvas 48 x 48 Collectioninchesofthe artist, Courtesy of Cole Pratt Gallery
17 GENERIC ART SOLUTIONS New Orleans, Louisiana Buddy Breathing Digital2022 print from large format silver gelatin negative 34 x 42 Collectioninchesofthe artists
18 JULIE GLASS Shreveport, Louisiana Removal of R.E. Lee (Charlottesville) Found2022 wood, found metal, acrylic paint 50 x 39 x 15 inches Collection of the artist
19 JAMES GOEDERT New Orleans, Louisiana Stand Danley’s Stress Ball Stand Wood,2021 paint, fabric, wheels, stress ball, sugar, ribbon, computer drawn labels 72 x 32 x 48 inches Collection of the artist
20 JOAN GRISWOLD New Orleans, Louisiana Late Into the Night Oil2020on linen 36 x 40 Collectioninchesofthe artist, Courtesy of Cole Pratt Gallery
21 SHANNON LANDIS HANSEN Mandeville, Louisiana Wave As You Go By Assemblage2020 sculpture with broken ceramic figurines, found pieces of wood, metal clock works, kimono fragments, false teeth, jewelry 24 x 54 x 9 inches Collection of the artist
22 SUSAN HAVENS-MORRIS New Orleans, Louisiana Tennis Court Acrylic,2022 oil stick and spray paint on stretched canvas 48 x 72 CollectioninchesofLaura Kostelny
23 JORDAN HESS New Orleans, Louisiana I’m a Salt River roarer! I’m a ring-tailed squealer! I’m a reg’lar screamer from the ol’ Massassip’! WHOOP! I’m the very infant that refused his milk before its eyes were open, and called out for a bottle of old Rye! I love the women an’ I’m chockful o’ fight! I’m half wild horse and half cock-eyed alligator and the rest o’ me is crooked snags an’ red-hot snappin’ turtle Found2022 objects from the Mississippi with missing sections replaced with steel armature and natural-colored epoxy sculpting resin displayed on custom Approximatelypedestals5x 8 inches each Collection of the artist
24 SUSAN IRELAND New Orleans, Louisiana Hecate Collection24Enamels2021x36inchesofthe artist
25 JEREMIAH JOHNSON Thibodaux, Louisiana Nighttime Acrylic,2022 ink, relief printing, screen printing, vinyl, hand cut printed image collage, spray painted stencil on mylar 72 x 48 Collectioninchesofthe artist
26 ZOE MARIANA JOHNSON New Orleans, Louisiana is there something I can do to make you stay Pigment2020 print 10 x 13.5 Collectioninchesofthe artist the last safe place Pigment2020 print 10 x 6.5 Collectioninchesofthe artist
27 SAHELI KHASTAGIR New Orleans, Louisiana This is Not a Still Life Acrylic2020 on canvas 24 x 36 Collectioninchesofthe artist
28 FRAHN KOERNER New Orleans, Louisiana Unwavering Fervor Acrylic2021 and graphite on Yupo paper 32 x 25 Collectioninchesofthe artist
29 ROZALYN LECOMPTE Broussard, Louisiana MERCY Acrylic2022 paint 24 x 24 Collectioninchesofthe artist
30 MITCHELL LONG New Orleans, Louisiana December 30, 2021 1:55 PM Costco New Orleans Oil2022on canvas 48 x 48 Collectioninchesofthe artist September 24, 2021 2:18 PM Walmart New Orleans Oil2021on paper mounted to board 10 x 8 Collectioninchesof the artist
31 JOSHUA MINTZ New Orleans, Louisiana I Can Hear Your Dirt Wood,2021 foam, plaster, fabric, resin, polymer clay, LEDs, Arudino, scritta, dna, porcelain, insulation, cotton 72 x 72 x 29.25 inches Collection of the artist
32 JACOB MITCHELL New Orleans, Louisiana After the Storm Archival2020 pigment print 20 x 16 Collectioninchesofthe artist
33 DUYEN NGUYEN Thibodaux, Louisiana Five Hand2022 and machine embroidery, beadwork on fabric, pyrography on wood frame 24 x 20 Collectioninchesofthe artist
34 ANTOINE PRINCE New Orleans, Louisiana Why I Can’t Breathe Oil2020on canvas 40 x 40 Collectioninchesofthe artist
35 KELSEY SCULT New Orleans, Louisiana SLICE Short2022 film, dehydrated orange peels, resin, thread 36 x 60 Collectioninchesofthe artist
36 SADIE SHELDON New Orleans, Louisiana In Each New Room You Find Your Harmonious Role Found2022 fabric, thread 60 x 60 Collectioninchesofthe artist
37 VITUS SHELL Monroe, Louisiana Bottom Line Acrylic,2022 paper and Foamcut print on canvas 42.5 x 42.5 inches Collection of the artist
38 AMBER SHIELDS New Orleans, Louisiana Cruet Set Pigment2022 prints, cruet set 20 x 50 x 12 inches Collection of the artist
39 ELISE SONNIER Broussard, Louisiana Anonymous Sibling #3 Acrylic2022 on canvas 20 x 16 Collectioninchesofthe artist
40 MADISON SPINNER New Orleans, Louisiana Checker Print Kitchen Super2022 8 film videography Collection of the artist
41 TRENITY THOMAS Westwego, Louisiana Loyalty Acrylic2020 paint, cloth, cardboard 48 x 48 Collectioninchesofthe artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery Differences Acrylic2020 paint 24 x 48 Collectioninchesofthe artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery
42 JOSÉ TORRES-TAMA New Orleans, Louisiana DETENTION=DEATH / No Más Muerte Acrylic2021 on canvas 48 x 72 Collectioninchesofthe artist
43 PAIGE VALENTE New Orleans, Louisiana Black Truck Gaffer's2022 tape, oil pastel, pen, and acrylic gel medium on Masonite 30 x 24 Collectioninchesofthe artist
44 LAURA WELTER New Orleans, Louisiana Patterns of Our Skin: Stars and Flowers Wood2021 panel, fabrics, quilt blocks, crewel embroidery, collage, glue, acrylic paint, oil paint 36 x 42 Collectioninchesofthe artist
45 LUBA ZYGAREWICZ Mandeville, Louisiana gathered/scattered Mixed2021 media on tea bags 60 x 50 Collectioninchesofthe artist
Cassel Oliver is the recipient of a Getty Curatorial Research Fellowship (2007); a fellowship from the Center of Curatorial Leadership (2009); the High Museum of Art’s David C. Driskell Award (2011); the Arthur and Carol Kaufman Goldberg Foundation-to-Life Fellowship at Hunter College (2016) and the James A. Porter Book Award from Howard University (2018). From 2016-17, she was a Senior Fellow in Curatorial Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and, in Spring 2020, she served with Hamza Walker as a Fellow for Viewpoints at the University of Texas at Austin.
46 ABOUT THE JUROR
During her tenure at the CAMH, Cassel Oliver organized numerous exhibitions including the acclaimed Double Consciousness: Black Conceptual Art Since 1970 (2005); Cinema Remixed & Reloaded: Black Women Artists and the Moving Image Since 1970 with Dr. Andrea Barnwell Brownlee (2009); and Radical Presence: Black Performance in Contemporary Art (2012). She has also mounted significant survey exhibitions for Benjamin Patterson, Donald Moffett, Trenton Doyle Hancock, Jennie C. Jones, Angel Otero and Annabeth Rosen. Her 2018 debut exhibition at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts was the five-decade survey of work by Howardena Pindell entitled, Howardena Pindell: What Remains to be Seen . The exhibition, co-organized with Naomi Beckwith, was mounted for the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago and named one of the most influential of the decade. At the VMFA, Cassel Oliver organized the exhibition, Cosmologies from the Tree of Life that featured over thirty newly acquired works from the Souls Grown Deep Foundation. Most recently, she opened the exhibition, The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture and the Sonic Impulse , to critical acclaim. The exhibition opened in Richmond May, 2021 and is currently touring through January, 2023.
Most recently, Cassel Oliver was named the recipient of the 2022 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence from The Center for Curatorial Studies at Bard College and the awardee of the College Arts Association’s 2022 Excellence in Diversity Award. In March, 2022, she accepted the Alain Locke International Art Award from the Detroit Institute for the Arts.
Valerie Cassel Oliver is the Sydney and Frances Lewis Family Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Prior to her position at the VMFA, she was Senior Curator at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston (2000 – 2017). She has served as director of the Visiting Artist Program at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago (1995-2000) and a program specialist at the National Endowment for the Arts (1988-1995). In 2000, she served as one of six curators selected to organize the Biennial for the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York.
Cassel Oliver holds an Executive MBA from Columbia University, New York; an M.A. in art history from Howard University in Washington, D.C. and a B.S. in communications from the University of Texas at Austin.
47 Chairman Jessie Haynes Vice Chairman Geoffrey P. Snodgrass Treasurer Cleophus Thomas, Jr Secretary Justin Woods Executive Director William Pittman Andrews Trustees Coleman E. Adler II Ron Bechet Ted Bloch III M.D. Carlos Carmona Tracy CatherineR.StuartGregoryL.NoahWilliamMonicaPennyDebraBeverlyMathildeCopelandCurrenceDaleFischmanFrancisAnnFroisGoldringHardieKasimuHarrisHoltHurtJacksonLittleMakk ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Ogden Museum of Southern Art is grateful to these supporters for making Louisiana Contemporary, presented by The Helis Foundation, possible: PRESENTING SPONSOR: Matthew Moreland Dale LloydTroyMattNathalieRogerMottOgdenSimonSchwartzScrogginsN.“Sonny” Shields Charles D. Urstadt Jason Waguespack Fern JennieWattersCannon West Michael SharondaWilkinsonWilliams Chairmen Emeriti William Goldring Charles D. Urstadt *As of July 1, 2022 HOST COMMITTEE: Eclectic Home Jessie & Beau Haynes Stuart B. Hurt Roger H. Ogden & Ken Barnes Charles D. Urstadt & David Bernard Erika J. Washington Michael Wilkinson
48BACK COVER: TRENITY THOMAS, LOYALTY (DETAIL), 2020, ACRYLIC PAINT, CLOTH, CARDBOARD, 48 X 48 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST, COURTESY OF JONATHAN FERRARA GALLERY
925 CAMP STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130 504.539.9650 | OGDENMUSEUM.ORG
