Mickalene Thomas’s latest masterpiece at the Barnes Foundation delves into her practice, featuring a focused look at her work alongside iconic pieces by Monet, Picasso, and Courbet. The show offers a unique blend of past and present, redefining modern art and culture.
Mickalene Thomas: A Master of Reinvention at the Barnes Foundation
With around fifty works from two decades of her career, “All About Love,” the latest international survey by Mickalene Thomas has just landed on the East Coast at the Barnes Foundation. The show offers a focused look at her practice, as well as compelling dialogues with works by Monet, Picasso, and Courbet in the Barnes collection.
Thomas’s approach to art is characterized by her ability to update the work of these classic-feeling artists without hauling them into the contemporary extreme. This vintage perspective is also evident in her use of rhinestones and other materials that evoke a sense of nostalgia and familiarity. The oldest works in the show come from her Brawlin Spitfire series, which depicts women in leopard prints doing pro wrestling moves on each other. Despite the ’80s vibe of these early pieces, they were made in the early 2000s, showcasing Thomas’s ability to blend different styles and periods.
One of the most striking works in the show is Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe: Les trois femmes noires (2010), which features Afros and is characterized by a warm, inviting background that evokes the possibility of multiple futures. This work is notable for its ability to balance disparate elements, including Neo-Expressionism, Cubism, and collage. However, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that Thomas’s use of past references is not jarring or dissonant, but rather resonates with viewers on a deep level.
A more recent work in the show, Noir est beau (Joséphine Baker 3), created for Dior‘s 2023 couture runway, offers a striking contrast to the earlier pieces. Its Warholian aesthetic and glossy finish may seem out of place in the context of Thomas’s oeuvre, but it serves as a commentary on the changing demands of fashion and the superficiality of modern culture.
Overall, “All About Love” at the Barnes Foundation is a testament to Mickalene Thomas‘s skill as an artist and her ability to reinvent herself over the course of her career. By embracing different styles and periods, she creates a unique and compelling body of work that continues to resonate with viewers today.
A Focus on Reinvention and Dialogue
The show at the Barnes Foundation is notable for its focus on Thomas’s practice and her ability to engage in dialogue with other artists’ works. Her use of rhinestones and other materials serves as a kind of visual shorthand, evoking a sense of nostalgia and familiarity that is both comforting and unsettling.
Through her work, Thomas challenges our assumptions about the nature of modern art and culture, inviting us to consider the ways in which past and present intersect. Whether through her use of classic references or her incorporation of contemporary themes, Thomas’s art remains firmly rooted in the past, even as it looks forward to the future.
A Master of Reinvention
Mickalene Thomas is a true master of reinvention, able to update the work of classic artists while still remaining true to her own vision. Her ability to blend different styles and periods has resulted in a unique and compelling body of work that continues to resonate with viewers today.
Through her art, Thomas challenges our assumptions about the nature of modern culture and invites us to consider the ways in which past and present intersect. Whether through her use of classic references or her incorporation of contemporary themes, Thomas’s art remains firmly rooted in the past, even as it looks forward to the future.
” All About Love ” is on view at the Barnes Foundation through January 12, 2025.
