KEITH DUNCAN
Black Plight
Opening: Saturday, January 13, 6pm – 9pm
On Exhibition: January 1 through February 16, 2018
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We are honored to present a series by painter, KEITH DUNCAN, which is an American Timeline, of sorts, that offers a visual sequential narrative of the unique plight of an enslaved people who were forced to count themselves amongst the original American settlers in 1619. The 12 paintings acknowledge and give voice to enumerable dispersed people by highlighting a select few and their unfathomable journeys and stories.
Portraitures and timeframes featured within these works include Nat Turner ( Revolt - 1831), Harriet Tubman (Underground Railroad - 1850s), Frederick Douglass (Abolition - 1840s- 1860s), Marcus Garvey (Negro Improvement Association 1912 – 1923), W.E. DuBois (Co-founder NAACP 1909), James Baldwin (author – 1947 – 1987), Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Civil Rights Leader – 1955-1968), Malcom X (Human Rights Activist - 1953 – 1, Maya Angelou (author/civil rights activist – 1969 – 2014), Angela Davis (political activist 1960s), O.J. Simpson (murder trial/changed the way race was discussed – 1994), Michael Jackson (iconic singer – 1964 – 2009), Oprah Winfrey (iconic media leader – 1986 to present) and Barack Obama (first black president of the United States – 2008).
“This body of work is an account of the American Negro, Colored, Black and African American man and woman’s plight throughout this nation’s history. Afro-Americans have defended, fought, built, devoted, invested, claimed and voted, most importantly, died for the success and betterment of this country. In this nation, our BLACK PLIGHT and history is not only an explanation of Black History but of American history as well.” - Keith Duncan
Duncan’s work can be found in private and public collections including the George and Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art, New Orleans and NASA, Washington, DC. His solo and group exhibitions include Prospect 2, New Orleans; the Ogden Museum of Southern Art, New Orleans; El Taller Boricua Gallery, New York, NY; Danny Simmons Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn, New York; CUE Arts Foundation, New York, NY. and Studio Museum in Harlem, New York, NY. Duncan’s awards include the Camille Cosby Fellowship and the Joan Mitchell Foundation Grant. He has completed Residencies at Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, Skowhegan, ME and the Joan Mitchell Foundation, New Orleans.
About Stella Jones GALLERY: SJG is proud to be counted as one of the most respected African American fine art galleries in the country and is listed as a Cultural Landmark by “The Drum” newspaper and named by “Thrillist” as one of THE FOUR SPOTS THAT HAVE TRANSFORMED THE ARTS DISTRICT INTO NOLA’S HOTTEST NEIGHBORHOOD.
Stella Jones Gallery - 201 St. Charles Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70170
For more information, please contact 504-568-9050/stellajonesgallery@gmail.com or visit www.stellajonesgallery.com