“Safe House”
Nina Chanel Abney
Mary Boone Gallery
Content and images by: Caressa Losier
Safe House by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
A raw, meaningful exhibition by Chicago art activist Nina Chanel Abney entitled Safe House was featured from November 9, 2017 – December 22, 2017, at Mary Boone , a New York City art gallery located in Manhattan’s cozy Chelsea neighborhood. In this exhibit, the theme of information overload continues as her copper-colored characters are displayed inside of large canvases styled in the form of leading news stories. Each character is strategically placed above or beneath a headline and bound to the center of the canvas by the colorful borders holding them hostage.
During slave times, individuals en-route to the North would seek refuge in what we call a “safe house”. These homes were residences of anti-slavery individuals and symbolized sanctuary, hope and humanity for those who were once chained to society’s prejudice and racially-biased laws. Theoretically speaking, a safe house is a confined space that shields you from danger when you are in it. But what makes you a target of danger? In the case of the slaves, it was their skin color. What do you think it could be for Abney’s characters?
In the Land Without Feelings
In the Land Without Feelings by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
People at Peoples Beach
People at Peoples Beach by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
Guns and Butter
Guns and Butter by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
When you’re seeking refuge from harm, there comes a moment when you must ask yourself if in this scenario, are you actually perceived as being in danger, or as being the danger itself? If you’re continually being portrayed from one perspective in the media, chances are that you will begin to internalize those messages and perceive them as truth. Guns and Butter is a great example of this mentality. Gun symbols surround a group of Black men who are side-eyeing one another due to the negative stigmas that surround them in the media.
Non Action Satisfaction
Non Action Satisfaction by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
Fanny Pack
Fanny Pack by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
Request One Zero One
Request One Zero One by Nina Chanel Abney (@ninachanel), Mary Boone Gallery, Chelsea, NYC
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