KEVIN SAMPSON: IRONBOUND
September 14, 2014–February 1, 2015
The assemblages of artist Kevin Blythe Sampson trace the past and present of his neighborhood, known as Ironbound, as well as aspects of his entire Newark, NJ, community.
Sampson’s father, Stephen Sampson, was committed to civil rights and community issues. In fact, local marches and meetings were often organized at his kitchen table. National leaders, such as Ruby Dee, Malcolm X, and Robert Ferris Thompson, came to meet with his father about their challenges and victories. Those experiences had a profound effect on the younger Kevin; as a result, themes of activism, place, and identity recur throughout his work.
Primarily self-taught, Sampson continues to tackle the difficult issues of concern to him and his neighborhood. Reflecting what he calls the “community conscience,” his sculptures are made from found objects and gifts from neighbors, thus documenting his intimate understanding of the contemporary African American experience.
Photo: Kevin Sampson. Photo: Fred Scruton.
September 14, 2014–February 1, 2015
The assemblages of artist Kevin Blythe Sampson trace the past and present of his neighborhood, known as Ironbound, as well as aspects of his entire Newark, NJ, community.
Sampson’s father, Stephen Sampson, was committed to civil rights and community issues. In fact, local marches and meetings were often organized at his kitchen table. National leaders, such as Ruby Dee, Malcolm X, and Robert Ferris Thompson, came to meet with his father about their challenges and victories. Those experiences had a profound effect on the younger Kevin; as a result, themes of activism, place, and identity recur throughout his work.
Primarily self-taught, Sampson continues to tackle the difficult issues of concern to him and his neighborhood. Reflecting what he calls the “community conscience,” his sculptures are made from found objects and gifts from neighbors, thus documenting his intimate understanding of the contemporary African American experience.
Photo: Kevin Sampson. Photo: Fred Scruton.
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