Response to Glenn Ligon

"The only real artists I've ever heard of are dead."

This quote by Glenn Ligon's mother is repeated in each of the three articles we read, and intrigued me. The primary reason for why I liked this quote was because one of the first things I noticed about Glenn Ligon is how young he is. His ideas are fresh and still innovatingly utilizing the same concepts and daring language that many of his predecessors used in the 70's and 80's. His focus, however, is clearly related to being an "outsider", whether because of race, sexuality, or something else. Several of his works seek to create an atmosphere that allows the viewer to look at succinct, direct phrases (sometimes even words of Gertrude Stein) pointing at the reality and the humanity of outsiders.

Being a well-educated African American man in the post-civil-rights world, Ligon creatively and carefully manipulates his pieces so that they evoke a large amount of emotion without being incredibly complicated. In the work I chose to highlight (above), Ligon uses the simple phrase "I AM A MAN" to say something much deeper. Within the words, he's saying that he, despite his race and sexuality, exists and lives. He contributes and creates ideas. He is.

Another one of my favorite works of his was "Negro sunshine." I love the way Ligon pays tribute to Gertrude Stein, but also creates an atmosphere of hope and clarity from the very beginning. In the New York Times article it read that this piece was displayed right at the entrance of the museum, where everyone could see it. First off, I would like to say that I found this article to be my least favorite of the three we read and perhaps I'm mistaken but the writer of the relatively new article seemed to ironically make Ligon an outsider by the way she wrote the piece. That aside, I really find that by putting "Negro sunshine" in the window of the museum, the piece reaches its maximum effect. It creates an overarching concept of safety and security, and of belonging.

Chloe Stagaman