EXHIBITIONS

Prints by Justin Matherly

These unique prints by Justin Matherly overlay images from a 1974 album by comedian Richard Pryor with a detail of a 1933 self-portrait by the Russian artist Kazimir Malevich. During their lifetime, both historical figures created work that was heavily criticized and censored for its subversive content—Pryor’s comedy for his profanity and unyielding critiques, and Malevich’s art for his appeal to the avant-garde and resistance to official demands for more traditional forms. Matherly’s works consider the two artists’ radical qualities and blends their images together beyond recognition. The layered, pixilated prints form a vague configuration of facial features and body parts, reading as a portrait of concealment. Matherly’s blurred images asks viewers to consider the effects of creative suppression and what it means for individual artistic expression.