Carl E. Moore Comments on Ramifications of Racism in 'Pause.'
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Carl E. Moore, True Believer, acrylic on canvas, 20” x 16,” 2020.
The next exhibition at The Arts & Science Center will showcase the work of noted Memphis artist Carl E. Moore.
PAUSE. People, Places and Scenes by Carl E. Moore features more than 30 pieces from the artist’s most recent body of work.
It opens Thursday, Feb. 3, and a reception will be held March 3.
The exhibition is sponsored by Relyance Bank.
Moore’s paintings comment on a culture fraught with anti-Black rhetoric and sentiment, where the physical and psychological ramifications of racism seep into the private lives of the community he depicts, ASC Curator Jessica Lenehan said.
“Using flat imagery and bold colors, Moore’s subjects fill their spaces, giving a sense of being overwhelmed,” she noted. “Amongst the grief, some images speak of resilience and strength. The subjects gaze out at the viewer, confronting the audience in the same way Moore asks us to confront the systemic oppression around us.”
His work deals with color and identity, Moore said. “My goal is to compare social ideologies about race, stereotypes, and belief systems to everyday colors and the perception of these colors in our environment,” he said.
The exhibition title, PAUSE, reflects the status of the characters in the work, Moore explained.
“People living in their community, living their lives and in their spaces, as black Americans living in a PAUSED position, waiting,” he said. “Waiting for the next headline or event to happen. Waiting for the next justified police shooting or the next unexplained act of violence. Waiting for the most recent statistical data about high unemployment or the next random report on unequal healthcare for black women. Waiting for the next apology for a recently discovered history of wrongdoing or waiting for gentrification, redlining, redistricting, or redevelopment to claim black neighborhoods.”
He continued, “The artwork acts as a collective group of people living in one community, but at the same time, these could be people anywhere. The work moves from simple day-to-day activities to sometimes intense and unpredictable situations, where people PAUSE for the outcome.”
Moore earned a Master of Fine Arts degree in art and studio practice, and a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in illustration, graphic design, and painting, both from the Memphis College of Art.
His recent solo exhibitions include 2019’s At Your Discretion at ArtUp Gallery in Memphis and 2018’s … and Justice for All at Memphis Brooks Museum of Art and the University of Mississippi in Oxford.
His accolades include receiving the 2019-2020 Tennessee Artist Fellowship from the Center of Excellence for the Creative Arts at Austin Peay State University. And in 2020, Moore was chosen for a 10-month residency with Crosstown Arts in Memphis.
For more information about Carl Moore and to view more of his work, visit his website carlemoore.com and follow him on Instagram.
PAUSE. People, Places and Scenes will be on view in the William H. Kennedy Jr. Gallery through April 30, 2022.
Carl E. Moore, Night Shift, Acrylic Gouache on Canvas, 12” x 12,” 2020.
PAUSE. People, Places and Scenes
by Carl E. Moore
An Inside The Arts video interview with Carl E. Moore will be viewable on ASC’s Facebook page and website at 5 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 3 to coincide with the exhibition opening.
ASC will host a joint reception for PAUSE. People, Places and Scenes and Meikel Church’s exhibition Was it Ever Real?, from 5-7 p.m. Thursday, March 3, 2022. (The opening reception for Pause scheduled for Feb. 3 has been canceled due to COVID-19 concerns.)
