Interlude(s)
Interlude(s), produced by Black Artist Research Space, is an ongoing documentary project and writing intervention that features Black contemporary artists, curators, art practitioners, and creatives. Interlude(s) suggests an intentional pause or intermission between an artist’s making period and urges them to explore their practice in consideration to critical questions regarding their role as cultural producer.
Interlude(s) is rooted in research and reflection. These reflections explore how individuals define themselves, draw connections between their work + present day realities, and elaborate on past histories that serve as current influence. This form of research considers our peers as the primary motivation for how BARS takes up space. We are drawing from historical examples within Black history, defining our practice, and archiving ourselves in the same moment.
INTERLUDE(S) FULL EPISODES
Visual artist Kyle Yearwood reflects on his lived reality as a native of Baltimore City and how elements of this reality make their way into his utopian-like visual compositions. These lived realities, impacted by the city’s crime rate and historic disinvestment, serve as a guiding light to Yearwood’s compositions and creative practice. Yearwood’s work juxtaposes these dark realities with symbols and imagery synonymous with light in order to inspire hope and inspire uplift within his community.
Self As Monument: Sculptor Murjoni Merriweather opens up and speaks candidly to the nuances of her upbringing and the degree race and racial politics played in influencing the trajectory of her creative practice. Reflecting on race and the subsequent lack of representation of Black people within fine art as a prevalent influence, Merriweather establishes her sculptural work as a space for Black people to see themselves reflected. Driven by the permanence of sculpture, Merriweather’s work asserts Blackness, in all its variations, is monumental and everlasting.
