Combining baroque grandeur, hip-hop swagger, and black and LGBTQ subcultures, Rashaad Newsome creates evocative works of art that highlights fantasy, capitalistic obsessions, and systemic oppressions. The opulence of fashion magazines and society culture is subverted through the vocabulary of voguing, the New York ballroom scene, and New Orleans bounce music. Newsome applies a keen awareness of art historical and alternative cultural sources to offer pointed commentaries on contemporary culture and identity politics. On the McNay’s AT&T Lobby wall, the artist presents the video KNOT, 2014, floating over an entire wall wrapped in his striking Jungle Gardenia print.
Image:
Rashaad Newsome. Still from KNOT, 2012. Single-channel video installation with sound and custom artist wall vinyl, 2014, dimensions vary. Courtesy of the artist and De Buck Gallery. Copyright Rashaad Newsome.
