Jack Whitten: The Messenger of Infinite Diversity
“I’m a product of American Apartheid,” declared the renowned artist Jack Whitten, a candid acknowledgment of his reality that deeply influenced his artistic vision. This stark truth propelled him to create a body of work that projects a remarkably different narrative—one that celebrates “infinite diversity in infinite combinations.” It was this compelling vision that sustained him throughout his nearly six-decade artistic journey. “This is why I get up in the morning,” he passionately expressed, “and go to work!”
At a time when discussions surrounding diversity and difference are being sanitized from our national history, we are fortunate to witness a vibrant retrospective of Whitten’s career. This grand exhibition, titled “Jack Whitten: The Messenger,” unfolds across the special exhibition galleries on the sixth floor of the Museum of Modern Art, presenting an impressive collection of around 180 paintings, sculptures, and works on paper, ranging from a 1963 art-school collage to a poignant final piece created just before his passing in 2018.
Throughout his career, Whitten referred to every studio as a “laboratory” and viewed each artwork as an “experiment.” Indeed, much of the work displayed in this exhibition defies conventional categorization. One notable piece, entitled “The Messenger (for Art Blakey),” is positioned just outside the first gallery and challenges viewers from the outset. Viewed from a distance, it may resemble a photograph capturing a star-studded night sky or the foamy clouds over a dark ocean. Alternatively, it could be perceived as a painting characterized by white paint splatters and drips, reminiscent of Abstract Expressionism against a black backdrop.
However, upon closer inspection, one discovers that this remarkable work is, in fact, a large mosaic intricately crafted from thousands of pixel-like cubes of dried paint, each contributing to a mesmerizing texture. The title provides a key to unlocking its significance: Art Blakey, the extraordinary Black drummer and leader of the influential hard bop ensemble known as the Jazz Messengers in the 1950s. With this context, the seemingly chaotic globs and drips transform into a visual representation of sound, evoking musical bursts and vibrant pings that resonate with the rhythm of life itself.
