Henry Taylor: B Side
Oct 4, 2023–Jan 28, 2024
Portrait of Steve Cannon
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Over the years, Taylor has depicted many artists, critics, and curators from his community including Andrea Bowers, Deana Lawson, and Robert Pruitt, all of whom have works in the Whitney's collection. However, Taylor's focus on the art world extends beyond those he knows personally. His "covers" of Dawoud Bey's photograph of David Hammons and Gerhard Richter's painting of his daughter are examples of how he invokes a broader art-historical family by reinterpreting the art of others. Taken together, these works form a map of Taylor's social and artistic circles.
Henry Taylor, Before Gerhard Richter there was Cassi, 2017
Henry Taylor, Before Gerhard Richter there was Cassi, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 84 × 66 in. (213.4 × 167.6 cm). Collection of Jeff Poe and Rosalie Benitez. © Henry Taylor. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photograph by Sam Kahn
In Before Gerhard Richter there was Cassi, Taylor borrows from Gerhard Richter’s 1988 painting of his then-eleven-year-old daughter Betty to create a portrait of the artist Cassi Namoda. In Taylor’s “cover” of Richter’s painting, he retains Betty’s pink-and- white outfit and her pose of turning away from the viewer, revealing only a sliver of her face.