Deeply Cool

Sometimes I wonder how I can intend to do something for so long and not do it. It makes me mad at myself. Other times, I finally do the thing I long intended to do and am glad I waited because I could savor a discovery.

Ever since I heard about the Studio Museum in Harlem about 5 years ago, I intended to go. At the time, I lived in south Park Slope Brooklyn and getting to Harlem was a good 2 hour subway ride. Now that I am Chelsea, I can get to Harlem in about 45 minutes.

There is no question I have missed some good shows, but I am overjoyed to have seen the Barkley L. Hendricks "Birth of the Cool" exhibition. It is a full jewel box of a show.

I regret that I didn't bring my notebook to jot notes on this exhibit. According to information in a wall plaque, Hendricks spent time in Italy studying Italian Renaissance painting and this influenced his realistic portraits. They often have a flat, single color blackground and the subject is positioned close to the viewer against the picture plane. In some instances the background is a gold or silver leaf foil. These portraits often resemble icon paintings.

The color choices are also indicate an Italian Renaissance palette. For example, vermilion red is the solid background color in "JSB III." This particular hue was one of the few red pigments available in the 1400s. It is closer to an orange-red than the color of blood or fire engines. Most contemporary artists no longer use vermilion, instead they opt for cadmium red.

Of course, there are many ways in which his work differs from Renaissance and icon paintings. The scale is much larger than the small wooden panels used 500 years ago. Hendricks often presents his subjects life-sized on canvasses that span 4-6 feet in either direction.

His subjects are depicted in contemporary dress and pose. Many of the men are shown with toothpicks hanging from their mouths. Some are wearing sunglasses, and Hendricks has carefully reproduced reflections of the studio interior in the lenses. In one portrait, there is a much smaller portrait of Hendricks visible in the reflection of the subject's glasses.

The juxtaposition of traditional paint handling with contemporary subjects and gesture is evident in many of his works. In "Misc. Tyrone (Tyrone Smith)" a strong, mustachioed man in denim overalls engages the viewer with an expression that could be taunt or annoyance. He is holding his crotch with one hand and holding a white man-purse under his other arm. I love that this masculine man is presented with elements that are usually associated with women and girls (purses and pink).

I enjoy craquelure or the study of cracks in paintings. It was amusing to see that the hand on the crotch in "Misc. Tyrone (Tyrone Smith)" is emphasized subtly through a bulls-eye shaped crack that radiates from the hand. It is my understanding that these whorl cracks tend to be formed by pokes to the canvass. It is conceivable that someone inadvertently struck the canvass on a box corner in that very spot, but I prefer to imagine a more interesting explanation. Maybe when the painting was first exhibited, some enthusiastic gallery attendee high on boxed wine noticed the gesture and too aggressively pointed it out to other viewers.

Other paintings in the show also included this crotch-grabbing gesture, including the wonderful "Fela: Amen, Amen, Amen, Amen." This golden painting depicts the singer with a burning, crown of thorns heart and halo. Twenty-seven painted high-heeled shoes representing his wives are strewn before this shrine-like piece.

Hendricks has a wonderful sense of humor. In his self portrait "Icon for My Man Superman (Superman never saved any black people -- Bobby Seale)" he places his head and torso in the center of a flat, silver leag background. He wears aviator sunglasses and a blue Superman S-logo T-Shirt. His arms are crossed over his chest. The border features painted red, white, and blue stripes. It was only after examining the picture for sometime that I realized Mr. Hendrick's wasn't wearing pants or underwear.

Another self-portrait depicts Hendricks in white gatsby hat, striped tube socks, and wrist bands and nothing else. The title of the piece is "Brilliantly Endowed."