Lillian young: the problem with archives: A Portrait is worth our words
July 29 - September 2, 2023
Press Release
Ro2 Art is proud to present The Problem with Archives: A Portrait is Worth Our Words, an exhibition of new work by Lillian Young. The exhibition will open July 29 and remain on view through September 2, 2023, at Ro2 Art located at 2606 Bataan St., Dallas, TX, with an opening reception to be held July 29 from 7-10pm.
Lillian Young’s The Problem with Archives: A Portrait is Worth Our Words, features two projects, Wanted: The Runaways and The Black Elder Archive, that bring attention to historical Black experiences that have been or could be erased. In The Runaways, she creates interpreted portraits from the language of historical runaway advertisements, while in The Black Elder Archive, Young paints portraits of individuals who lived through Jim Crow and Segregation. In this second series, a sound component adds to the process of recording these experiences, sensitively and powerfully drawing attention to their memories and experiences. Throughout The Problem with Archives: A Portrait is Worth Our Words, Young’s use of portraiture and language invites viewers to reexamine the ways in which history has been recorded. By shedding a light on these moments, Young not only represents histories that have been or could be forgotten, but also creates a new way of sharing knowledge, experience, and memories. |
show Statement
The Problem with Archives: A Portrait is Worth Our Words, brings attention to how much information about individuals in African Americans history has already been lost and the remaining stories of our Elders could unfortunately follow the same path. The further back you look into Black history it becomes more difficult to create a full picture of the individuals who were enslaved. Often we are only left with the hate filled and dehumanizing word of enslavers as a source to build upon. Additionally, it is important now more than ever that more effort be made into documenting the stories of living individuals who have first-hand experience of living through Segregation and Jim Crow. Most often their histories are overlooked since they are considered ordinary people, but they can provide insight into the past so that changes can be made.
The Problem with Archives: A Portrait is Worth Our Words features two projects, Wanted: The Runaways, and the Black Elder Archive. The Runaways is a series of 100 portraits (66 on display) of runaway slaves from the 1700s - 1800s. Each portrait uses the words from runaway advertisements to create an interpretation of the person mentioned using the vague and racist descriptions provided by enslavers in the notice. Specific details like scars and predominant facial features are painted realistically while surrounded by the actual words from the ads used to describe each figure. The Black Elder Archive uses portraiture and sound to highlight the stories of individuals who lived through Jim Crow and Segregation across the United states as teachers, factory workers, stay-at-home mothers, journalists, or activists. Overall this exhibition invites viewers to consider how we have recorded history and what steps that need to be done in the future. |
About the Artist
Historical artist Lillian Young describes herself as a painter who moonlights as a printmaker and her works depict forgotten or muted moments in Black history and the Black experience. She focuses on lesser-known black figures, stories, and objects that are commonly known by the black communities, and wants her art to start a dialogue between people about the current racial issues faced today.
Lillian’s work has appeared in galleries across the United States and is currently on view in South Africa. Lillian is the Family Programs Coordinator at the Brooklyn Museum of Art. She received her BFA in Studio Art from Texas Christian University in 2018 and in the Spring of 2022, she received her MFA in Studio Art with a certification in Museum Studies from Michigan State University. Lillian has worked at the Kimbell Art Museum, the Smithsonian American Art Museum, The National Portrait Gallery, the Eli and Edythe Broad Art Museum, and the Art Institute of Chicago. |
interview with the artist
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Installation views
individual works
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