Laylah Ali
| Laylah Ali | |
|---|---|
| Born | Buffalo, New York |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Painting |
Laylah Ali (born 1968, Buffalo, New York[1]) is a contemporary visual artist known for paintings in which ambiguous race relations are depicted with a graphic clarity and cartoon strip format[2] that lend an unusual lightness to this weighty subject. The works are small scale gouache paintings and drawings on paper. The subject of Ali's most well-known gouache paintings are the Greenheads – characters designed to minimize or eliminate categorical differences of gender, height, age, and in some ways race.[3] Ali received her B.A. (English and Studio Art) from Williams College, Williamstown, MA and her M.F.A. from Washington University in St. Louis, MO. She lives and works in Williamstown, Massachusetts.[1] She is currently a professor at Williams College.[4]
Collaborations
Laylah Ali collaborated with dancer choreographer Dean Moss in a project named Figures on a Field in 2005[5]
Work
Laylah Ali is known to prepare for many months, she likes to plan out every detail so there are no room for mistakes. Ali says she will one brush for one color and will label the brushes so there is no cross contamination amongst brushes. Ali's work is based on life experiences although you may not be able to tell through her work, she says all of her work has meanings and that what's in her mind comes out through her hands on paper.[6]
Exhibitions
Selected exhibitions
Laylah Ali has exhibited in both the Venice Biennial(2003) and the Whitney Biennial(2004)[6]
Other exhibitions are as follows:
- 2013: Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at Cornell University, NY.
- 2013: Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series. Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota;
- 2010: Works on paper from the MCA collection. Museum of Contemporary Art, Chicago;
- 2007: the kiss and other warriors. Institute of International Visual Arts, London;
- 2004: Laylah Ali: Types. Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis;
- 2002: Projects 75: Laylah Ali. Museum of Modern Art, New York;
- 2001: Laylah Ali. Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston;
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Baker, Alex (2007) Laylah Ali: Typology. Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts. p. 47. ISBN 9780943836300
- ↑ Cotter, Holland (2000). "ART IN REVIEW; Laylah Ali" (June 30). The New York Times. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ Ali, Laylah. "Interview." Laylah Ali. By Rebecca Walker. The Institute of Contemporary Art, Boston, 2001.
- ↑ "Laylah Ali: The Greenheads Series". http://museum.cornell.edu/''. Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art, Cornell University. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ Cornuelle, Kimberly. "Laylah Ali on Greenheads, Violence in Art, and More". http://www.bu.edu''. Boston University. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 "Laylah Ali". http://www.pbs.org''. ART21, Inc. 2001–2015. Retrieved 17 March 2015.
External Links
Laylah Ali: Meaning | Art21 "Exclusive"