Reshaping the Field

A critical anthology on the mediation of Blackness through pivotal historical art exhibitions

The 13th volume of Afterall Books' Exhibition Histories series explores Black identity through key historical moments that have created ruptures in the framing of Blackness, emphasizing how Black artists have been viewed and African diasporic art histories have been formed. Through a selection of landmark examples, from the Metropolitan Museum of Art's 1969 Harlem on My Mind to the Whitney's 1971 Contemporary Black Artists in America to LACMA's 1976 Two Centuries of Black American Art, Reshaping the Field examines pioneering exhibitions that have shaped the domain of Black art. Also including reflections on the curatorial practices of--and important works held by--renowned art galleries affiliated with historically Black colleges and universities such as Howard University and Fisk University, this critical anthology explores the commodification of Black bodies and embarks on a discussion of Black futurity in the contemporary art world. With contributions by artists, art historians and curators, this volume demonstrates that the question of Black identity in art and exhibition-making is historically and systemically produced.

Contributors include: Nana Adusei-Poku, Mora J. Beauchamp-Byrd, Bridget Cooks, Abby Eron, Amber Esseiva, Cheryl Finley, Languid Hands (Imani Robinson and Rabz Lansiquot), Julie McGee, Kobena Mercer, Derek Conrad Murray, Serubiri Moses, Senam Okudzeto, Monique Renee Scott, Jamaal B. Sheats, Richard J. Powell, Howard Michael Singerman, Marlene Smith, Lucy Steeds and Brittany Webb.