N.Y’s Guggenheim Museum kicks off the new year with a two part retrospective of legendary Robert Mapplethorpe that will last unril next January .
Entitled IMPLICIT TENSIONS ; MAPPLETHORPE NOW, The first phase of the exhibition will feature an installation of highlights from the Guggenheim’s rich collection of Mapplethorpe holdings, including selections from the artist’s early Polaroids, collages, and mixed-media constructions to his iconic, classicizing photographs of male and female nudes, flowers, and statuary; his portraits of artists, celebrities, and acquaintances; his more explicit depictions of the S&M underground; and some of his best-known self-portraits.
The second phase which will commence on July 29th 2019 will address the artist’s resounding impact on the field of contemporary portraiture and self-representation. It will feature contemporary artists from the Guggenheim’s collection who either actively engage with and reference Mapplethorpe’s work or whose approach to picturing the body and exploring identity through portraiture finds resonances in Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre. These artists include Rotimi Fani-Kayode, Lyle Ashton Harris, Glenn Ligon, Catherine Opie, and Paul Mpagi Sepuya. This yearlong exhibition program will celebrate the full range of Mapplethorpe’s extraordinary artistic contributions as well as the impact of the Mapplethorpe Foundation’s gift on the museum’s photography collection and collecting practices.
Implicit Tensions: Mapplethorpe Now https://www.guggenheim.org/exhibition/mapplethorpe January 25–July 10, 2019 July 24, 2019–January 5, 2020
Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving opens at the Brooklyn Museum on February 8th 2019. It will be the largest exhibition of her work in the US for 10 years, and for the first time will also display a collection of her clothing and other personal possessions, which were rediscovered and inventoried in 2004 after being locked away since Kahlo’s death,
Mexican artist Frida Kahlo’s unique and immediately recognizable style was an integral part of her identity. Kahlo came to define herself through her ethnicity, disability, and politics, all of which were at the heart of her work. Although she was married to muralist Diego Rivera, Kahlo also had several affairs including one with Chavela Vargas the legendary Mexican ranchera singer
Frida Kahlo: Appearances Can Be Deceiving February 8–May 12, 2019 Robert E. Blum Gallery, 1st Floor https://www.brooklynmuseum.org/exhibitions/frida_kahlo
Across the Pond in the UK, the Tate Gallery’s branch in Liverpool is mounting the first major exhibition in the country of queer artist and activist KEITH HARING. With more than 85 artworks including large, vibrant paintings, drawings and sculptures inspired by graffiti, pop art and underground club culture. His activism was a major part of his life. Compelled to speak for his generation, his art responds to urgent issues including political dictatorship, racism, homophobia, drug addiction, AIDS awareness, capitalism and the environment.
Haring died in 1990 of HIV/Aids aged just 32 years old, but is still regarded as major iconic queer figure.
TATE LIVERPOOL Royal Albert Dock Liverpool Liverpool L3 4BB https://www.tate.org.uk/whats-on/tate-liverpool/exhibition/keith-haring 14 June – 10 November 2019
