Photo by Lisa Helfert
How does a large-scale painting of colorful shipping containers sinking into a golden ocean connect to a simple tulip drawn in black ink in a sketchbook? For artist Dewey Crumpler, these seemingly unrelated subjects are deeply personal and profoundly connected, pointing to the enduring legacies of global capitalism, from the transatlantic slave trade to contemporary commerce.
On view at the David C. Driskell Center through Dec. 10, “Dewey Crumpler: Life Studies” showcases his exploration of these motifs through intricate works on paper and vibrant mixed-media paintings. The exhibition includes commanding pieces up to 60 x 72 inches, rich with bold colors, pop culture references, religious iconography and layered details inviting individual interpretation.
“It’s an occasion to see how a Black American artist tells the story of the Western world in a way that's seductive, that is fun to look at, that's humorous … but that is devastatingly serious at the same time,” said Sampada Aranke, guest curator and associate professor of art history at The Ohio State University. “He takes these two structures, the tulip and container, and brings them together so that audiences can learn a set of histories, a set of phenomena.”
