Artist Lorna Simpsons’ pieces Blue Love and Redhead have been projected onto the facade of the Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis (CAM) every evening since September of 2021. These two works are animations based on vintage copies of Ebony and Jet, publications that have long celebrated Black life and culture.
Now, on February 17, CAM is hosting “RE: Ebony and Jet,” a public discussion centered around the two magazines. This open, community-focused dialogue will revolve around the role these publications have played in American culture. Director of learning and engagement for CAM Michelle Dezember has overseen the programming for the event.
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“Our goal really is to celebrate the role that these historic publications have had on American culture at large and to celebrate Black excellence, as seen through the eyes of the magazine and through the art of Lorna Simpson, and for people to feel like they have a connection to the artwork that’s personal,” Dezember says.
In large part, the program will discuss Lorna Simpson’s Heads exhibition, which features the works Blue Love and Redhead. The exhibition will close at the end of this month.
“These are gorgeous, animated collages that use archival images from Ebony and Jet,” Dezember says. “Lorna Simpson will animate the crown of the head. She does this in a lot of different series. Sometimes, they’re collaged with paper, sometimes she uses watercolor. And in this case, these are animations. It creates this sense of emanating power and beauty, just bringing it to life in a new way. These figures play such an important role, and the magazine plays such an important role.”
The program will be moderated by art historian and curator Bridget R. Cooks, author of Exhibiting Blackness and an associate professor at the University of California, Irvine. There will also be other invited guest speakers who specialize in racial studies. The discussion will function as an open dialogue between contributors and community members who are in attendance, and attendees are encouraged to make the event a conversation rather than a panel discussion.
“We have a couple of people that we’ve invited to start the conversation, but then we’ll actually be asking for community members that are at the event if they want to share their favorite memory or their favorite thing about the magazine over the years,” Dezember says.
In addition to the discussion, there will also be interactive artistic experiences available. Patrons will have the opportunity to make their own collage, as well getting their photo taken in booths that will place their likeness on the cover of an Ebony or Jet magazine. The programming is built primarily around the goal of helping audiences see new perspectives and reflect on how American culture has been shaped by popular media around us.
“I really believe contemporary artists are able to show us our world and our life through a new lens,” Dezember says. “So, I think it’s inviting reflection and inviting a personal connection to the artworks, the topics. So, I think we were really interested in doing something that felt like it was making art accessible.”
“Re: Ebony and Jet” takes place February 17 at 6 p.m. Pre-registration for the event is sold out, but walk-ins will be welcomed based on availability.
