Louisiana Contemporary 2023 Catalog

LOUISIANA CONTEMPORARY PRESENTED BY

2023

925 CAMP STREET, NEW ORLEANS, LA 70130

FRONT COVER: THOM BENNETT, CHARLIE'S PAWN (DETAIL), 2022,

504.539.9650 | OGDENMUSEUM.ORG

SILVER GELATIN PRINT, 7 X 17 X 1.5 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST , LIFE, ARCHIVAL PIGMENT PRINT, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST

Letter from the Executive Director

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Juror’s Statement

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Louisiana Contemporary Presented by The Helis Foundation

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About the Juror, Aleesa Pitchamar n Alexander

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Acknowledgements

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LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR This is the 12th year for Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation. If this moment were hands on a clock, the minute and hour hand would be aligned, and it would be high noon or midnight – either instance lasting for just a second but in a moment of confluence that happens twice a day.

There are many things we can count on with a situation that is frequent, periodic and cyclical. Just as with every annual tradition that brings the comfort of consistency, there are always new elements being introduced that keep the moment current. Louisiana Contemporary feels like this. It’s always the same exhibition, but it’s not quite ever the same thing, just as one cannot step into the same muddy river twice.

Celebrating consistency through change is contradictory and creates friction to power the engine of inquiry that this exhibition thrives on each year. What holds all of the contradictions together is an underlying theme of investigation of art being made in this very moment, and further, how this exhibition allows us to celebrate the community of artists who cyclically make the commitment to live and work in our communities across the state of Louisiana.

Our unique educational mission would not exist without the artists in this community, nor without all of the artists who are related by many familiarities and contrasts from communities across the American South and beyond. This moment reminds us to make the experience of art current, critical to our experience of witnessing the future legacy of this artistic community happening in the present. We leave with our own stories of the art and community to share, tell and retell and remember either later this year or many years after.

We always want Louisiana Contemporary to present outwardly to a much larger audience, to have a network of understanding and appreciation organically growing from this point. This year Ogden Museum embarks on a five-year strategic plan whose goal is for us to become the internationally acknowledged authority on art of the American South. We would not be embarking on these bold steps, in part, if not for the elevated reach this exhibition has allowed for the last 12 years. Through the network of jurors and the gathering of contemporary forces, we speak about art of today to galvanize, clarify or inspire our gaze into art of the past and the future.

This exhibition exists because of the community of artists we seek to serve, the staff, volunteers and Board of Trustees of Ogden Museum, the members and visitors, patrons and supporters, and all of those who believe our distinct focus on this wild, undiscovered territory should robustly advance yearly.

Our collective thanks are always for the juror, this year Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, the Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University.

Ogden Museum staff are all deeply engaged with this exhibition. In particular the efforts of the entire curatorial team - Amy Newell, Director of Exhibitions; Bradley Sumrall, Curator of the Collection and Collections Manager; Richard McCabe, Curator of Photography and Chief Preparator; Sam Scoggins, Manager of Collections and Registration, who also contributed greatly to the promotion of the exhibition; and Selina McKane, Curatorial and Exhibitions Coordinator. Their efforts are aided by the careful diligence of Claire Wilkinson, Deputy Director of Exhibitions and Advancement.

Once again, we thank The Helis Foundation, for their ongoing presentation of this exhibition and for their tremendous commitment to our artistic community with The Helis Foundation Art Prize, an unrestricted gift in support of artistic practice, presented annually by the juror of this exhibition.

With extreme, heartfelt gratitude to our juror, presenting sponsors, host committee members, staff, trustees, volunteers and artists, I’m grateful to have Louisiana Contemporary be a nexus that has come around again for a 12th time.

William Pittman Andrews Executive Director Ogden Museum of Southern Art

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JUROR'S STATEMENT “Art is a guide for every person who is looking for something.”

– Thornton Dial, 1996 Growing up between Bangkok and the Pacific Northwest, the American South was mysterious and unfamiliar territory to my younger self. My family never visited the region, and I gleaned all my knowledge of it from history textbooks and "Adventures of Huckleberry Finn." When it came time to pick a dissertation topic in graduate school, while my colleagues decided to pursue projects in Italy and the Netherlands, I took a different path. I wanted to spend those crucial years in a historically significant, culturally vibrant and fascinatingly complex place that might seem unexpected to most art historians. As an outsider and transplant to this country, I was looking for some understanding of what it means to be American. There was no better – or more necessary – place to embark on this journey than through the South, and art was my guide. Through my research, I encountered so many incredible artists, collectors and community members, and these experiences have fundamentally shaped my worldview as a curator and art historian. In my mind, for reasons both challenging and energizing, you don’t really know the United States until you’ve spent time below the Mason-Dixon.

I am grateful to be this year’s juror, as it has allowed me to take another Southern journey through Louisiana. It is humbling to be in this role, as there is no way one can select a fully representative and complete grouping of works. This is a testament to the vitality of artistic production taking place here. I will always be a steadfast admirer of artists: the sheer courage it takes to make unique, soulful, singular things and share them with the world – in this case, asking to be judged – is radical. This year’s selection offers a diverse range of form, content, material and maker. Some works suggest vulnerability and intimacy, while others function as incisive critiques of the past and present. In certain cases, some pieces felt prophetic, anticipating the world to come. To those artists whose works I did not select, please know this process primarily reflects the juror, and I encourage all to continue on the creative path.

Artists are essential workers. You are consequential and necessary, and it is our responsibility as a society to find ways to support you. The Louisiana Contemporary is one such meaningful platform, and I am honored to be part of its history.

Congratulations to all involved.

Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art Co-director, Asian American Art Initiative Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University

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N IC[O ] BRIER R E A Z I Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Strange Brute (Hanging from the Poplar Trees) II, ed. 5/12 2022 Archival print of time-based performance; tree, [Black] artist/activist body, P.G.T. Beauregard piñata, Robert E. Lee piñata, vintage American baseball bat, Haitian flag, burned confederate flag 40 x 60 inches Collection of the artist

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N IC[O ] BRI E R R E A Z I Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

RAFTERS (Hyppolite + Gilbert) 2021 Mixed media: Tattered New Orleans Saints jerseys, sugar cane, sugar cane leaves, brown cotton, white cotton, indigo, transatlantic slave trade shackles, machete, plexiglass vitrine display case, “Colonial Maple” wooden base 68 x 32 x 20 inches Collection of the artist 4

N IC[O ] BRI E R R E A Z I Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

"...Things Ain't Always Set in Stone" (Street Lights), ed 1/12 2022 Archival print of time-based performance; P.G.T. Beauregard piñata, Robert E. Lee piñata, P.G.T. Beauregard Avenue Street sign, Robert E. Lee Boulevard Street sign, red street lights 52.5 x 35 inches Collection of the artist 5

JA CKS U N B E I N

Man d e vi l l e , L oui s i an a

Catching Orbital Debris (Angola Museum at the Louisiana State Penitentiary, LA.) 2023 17 archival pigment prints on top of one another, plexiglass, concrete screws, Score: Periodically yet without reason, the stack of images will be remounted; revealing a once concealed image and concealing a once revealed image. Possibly switched three times in an hour or once in a month 20 x 30 x 1 inches Collection of the artist

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THO M BE N NE T T

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo u i s i an a

Charlie's Pawn 2022 Silver gelatin print 7 x 17 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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TH O M BE NN E T T

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Trailer and Boat 2023 Silver gelatin print 7 x 17 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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R A IN A BE N O I T

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Sea Bones 2022 Papier mâché, beeswax, looping digital projection 72 x 40 x 2 inches Collection of the artist

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SE A N CL A R K

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

The Makings of You 2023 Oil and acrylic on canvas 40 x 30 inches Collection of the artist

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SE A N CL A R K

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

No Fixed Abode 2022 Acrylic and oil pastel on canvas 36 x 36 inches Collection of the artist

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ANITA CO O K E

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Breaking Patterns: Shift 2022 Acrylic-painted canvas and thread mounted on wood panel 36 x 36 x 3 inches Collection of the artist

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ANITA CO O K E

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Reveal #2 2023 Acrylic-painted canvas and thread mounted on wood panel 30 x 40 x 2 inches Collection of the artist

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TH O M A S D E AT O N

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Frog Pit 2022 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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TH O M A S D E AT O N

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

All Kinds of Critters 2022 Acrylic on canvas 40 x 40 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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MA RIA N N E D E S MA R A I S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Yellow No. 1 (A Thousand Touches) 2023 Found objects, linen, synthetic rubber and acrylic pigment on plexiglass 16 x 15.5 x 1.25 inches Collection of the artist

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MA RIA N N E D E S MA R A I S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Yellow No. 2 (My Mother’s Favorite Color Was Yellow) 2023 Found objects, linen, synthetic rubber and acrylic pigment on plexiglass 10.5 x 15.5.x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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MA RIA N N E D E S MA R A I S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Yellow No. 3 (Soft | Hard) 2023 Found objects, linen and synthetic rubber on plexiglass 15.5 x 15.5 x 3 inches Collection of the artist

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PA IG E DE V R I E S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Spider Web 2023 Oil on canvas 30 x 24 inches Collection of the artist

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NURHA N G O K T U R K

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Forged by Iron 2023 Latex, enamel, oil paint, cord and paper 33.75 x 26.25 x 3 inches each Collection of Camp Street Studios

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ANDRE W LI L E S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Twelve Butter Beans 2022 Gouache on discarded Regional Transit Authority tickets 3.375 x 27 x 0.25 inches Collection of the artist

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K ELS E Y L IVI N G S T O N

Bat o n R o u g e , Lo ui s i an a

New Life 2022 Hand sewn and relief printed tapestry 42 x 42 x 0.5 inches Collection of the artist

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SRĐ A N L O N Č A R

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

TRAUMA MODEL #2 (Hurricane Katrina) 2023 Inkjet print on brass 32 x 48 x 10 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Arthur Roger Gallery

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MITCHE L L L O N G

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

2/25/2023 3:01:00 PM 2023 Oil on canvas 40 x 50 x 2 inches Collection of the artist

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SAR A M A DA N D A R

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Window #5 2021 Acrylic on canvas, LED lights and microcontroller circuit, steel frame 43 x 43 x 2 inches Collection of the artist

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KA O RI M A E YA M A

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Mayday, Mayday, Mayday 2023 Oil on unstretched linen 22 x 55 inches Collection of the artist

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JO SHU A M I N T Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Untitled (Ahh Life) 2023 Hand cast tin, cotton, wood, rice paper, scritta, nylon, tape, copper, resin 4.25 x 6 x 3.125 inches Collection of the artist

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JO SHU A M I N T Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Custodian of The Ephemeral 2023 Hand cast tin, plaster, porcelain, polymer clay, pubic hair, foam, wood, resin, cotton, nylon, wax, brass 39 x 48 x 18.25 inches (variable) Collection of the artist

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JA CO B M I T C H E L L

Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a

Shades of Primary 2022 Archival pigment print 24 x 36 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist

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C O RA N IMT Z

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo u i s i an a

Friendship Star 2023 Textile 23 x 23 x 0.5 inches Collection of the artist

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CORA N IMT Z

N e w O r l e a n s, Lo ui s i an a

Log Cabin 2023 Textile 22 x 22 x 0.5 inches Collection of the artist

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M A RY J A NE PA R K E R

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Glare 2023 Gouache and graphite on vellum 36 x 50 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Arthur Roger Gallery

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BR ITT RA N S O M

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Suspended 2022 3D scanned oak tree remnants, SLA 3D prints, brass, oak, custom attachments, archival prints 66 x 60 x 70 inches Collection of the artist

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B RIT T RA N S O M

N e w O r l e a n s, Lo u i s i an a

Brood 2021 Laser 3D scan, SLA resin print, ultraviolet light 2 x 12 x 2 inches Collection of the artist

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M A CO N R E E D

Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a

The Death Spa Experience 2023 HD Video 7 min 37 sec run time Collection of the artist

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JEN N IF E R R I N E H A RT N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

And There I Was 2021 Cyanotype on linen 60 x 48 x 3 inches Collection of the artist

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CH RIS T O P H E R S A U C E D O

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Money to Burn (variant VI) 2022 Branded wood and U.S currency collage, steel and aluminum 42 x 42 x 2 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Arthur Roger Gallery

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SUZ A N N A S C O T T

Ru s t o n , L o u i si an a

Ascendant 2021 Aluminum foil, fabric, thread, fabric hardener 72 x 72 x 3 inches Collection of the artist

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CH RIS T Y S P E A K M A N

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Where We Grew Up Together 2023 Instant film prints 27.375 x 24.125 inches (detail image) Collection of the artist

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ELLIO T ST O K E S

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Laura 2023 Charcoal on paper 19 x 25 inches each Collection of the artist

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TR E N ITY T H O MA S Wes t w e g o , L o ui s i an a

Lemon Boy and Cowboy 2023 Acrylic paint 60 x 48 x 1.5 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery 41

TRE N IT Y T H O M A S We s t w e g o , L o u i s i an a

Whatchu Got? 2022 Acrylic paint 48 x 36 x 1 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery 42

TR E N ITY T H O MA S We s t w e g o , Lo ui s i an a

Blooming Man 2022 Photographic print 30 x 20 inches Collection of the artist, Courtesy of Jonathan Ferrara Gallery

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RI CHA RD VA L L O N , J R .

A b i t a S p r i n g s , Lo ui s i an a

The Headwaters at Flatwoods Abita Creek 2023 Photography 44 x 36 inches Collection of the artist

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CA ITL IN E Z E L L WA U G H

Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a

Listen to the Old Growth 2023 Recycled bottle glass hot cast over cypress 9 x 8 x 72 inches Collection of the artist

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CAITL IN E Z E L L WA U G H

N e w O r l e a n s , Lo ui s i an a

Restore the Archive; Rue (Ruta Graveolens) 2023 Pate de Verre (powdered glass) kiln cast of Rue plant, copper pipe 27 x 18 x 10 inches Collection of the artist

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ARIYA A L A D J E M W O L F Ne w O r l e a ns , Lo ui s i an a

Mimosa (for our hearts) 2023 Archival pigment print from 8 x 10 negative, shelf, Mimosa tincture 32 x 25 inches Collection of the artist

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ABOUT THE JUROR A l e es a P it ch a ma r n A lexa nder

Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Moder n and Contemporary Art Co-director, Asian American Art Initiative Cantor Arts Center, Stanford University

PHOTO BY HARRISON TRUONG

The 2023 juror of Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation is Aleesa Pitchamarn Alexander, the Robert M. and Ruth L. Halperin Associate Curator of Modern and Contemporary Art at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University. She states, “I am thrilled to be selected as the 2023 juror for Louisiana Contemporary, a vital program that showcases the thriving talent and cultural strength of the region’s visual arts. I look forward to supporting Southern art in a meaningful way through a platform that can aid emerging talent and beyond.”

As a curator, Aleesa is committed to providing meaningful platforms for historically excluded artists and opportunities to expand narratives in the history of art through collection building, exhibitions and community outreach. At the Cantor, she is curator of The Faces of Ruth Asawa (July 2022 – ongoing), East of the Pacific: Making Histories of Asian American Art (Sept. 28, 2022 – Feb. 12, 2023) and The Medium Is the Message: Art since 1950 (Feb. 23, 2019 – ongoing).

Working with assistant professor of art history Marci Kwon, Aleesa is Co-director of the Asian American Art Initiative (AAAI), which is working to transform the Cantor into the preeminent institution for the collection, display and study of Asian American/Asian diasporic art in the United States. Aleesa cultivates relationships with community members, donors, artist estates and living artists to help build the Cantor’s growing collection of Asian American art, which is now one of the best nationally.

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Ogden Museum of Southern Art is grateful to these supporters for making Louisiana Contemporary, Presented by The Helis Foundation, possible: PRESENTING SPONSOR:

HOST COMMITTEE:

Suzie & Ted Bloch III M.D. Coughlin- Saunders Foundation Vivian & Richard Cahn Paola Paoli Corrada Mollye & Laurent Demosthenidy Dale Fleishmann Chairman Jessie Haynes Vice Chairman Geoffrey P. Snodgrass Treasurer Jason Waguespack Secretary Justin Woods Executive Director William Pittman Andrews

Alison Hartman Jan W. Katz Jackson & Donna Little Catherine Makk Carla & Cleophus Thomas Charles D. Urstadt & David Bernard Michael Wilkinson

Trustees Coleman E. Adler II Ron Bechet Ted Bloch III M.D. Carlos Carmona Tracy Copeland Kaye Courington Scott Cunningham Beverly Dale Debra Fischman Penny Francis Monica Ann Frois William Goldring Noah Hardie L. Kasimu Harris Gregory Holt Stuart Hurt R. Jackson Little

Catherine Makk Matthew Moreland Dale Mott Roger Ogden Deanna Rodriguez Matt Schwartz Troy Scroggins Lloyd N. “Sonny” Shields Nathalie Simon Cleophus Thomas, Jr. Charles D. Urstadt Jason Waguespack Fern Watters Jennie Cannon West Michael Wilkinson Sharonda Williams Chairmen Emeriti William Goldring Charles D. Urstadt

*As of July 24, 2023 49

BACK COVER: THOM BENNETT, CHARLIE'S PAWN (DETAIL), 2022,

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SILVER GELATIN PRINT, 7 X 17 X 1.5 INCHES, COLLECTION OF THE ARTIST , LIFE,

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