Take A Peek At "Gary Simmons: Public Enemy" At The Museum Of Contemporary Art Chicago

With of-the-moment exhibition Gary Simmons: Public Enemy—the most comprehensive museum show of the artist’s work to date—the MCA shines a spotlight on the L.A.-based artist’s incisive commentary on history, memory and popular culture.

Gary Simmons cuts to the chase. From a boxing ring that suggests the commodification of Black bodies in entertainment to indictments of racist elements within the history of pop culture, the artist’s work is a powerful examination of how our collective understanding of race has been shaped over the generations. Now, the Museum of Contemporary Art presents the most extensive survey of Simmons’ work yet, with more than 60 pieces comprising Gary Simmons: Public Enemy. Here, the exhibition’s organizers, the MCA’s James W. Alsdorf Chief Curator René Morales and assistant curator Jadine Collingwood, together share their thoughts on the significance of some of the exhibition’s most impactful works. June 13-Oct. 1, 220 E. Chicago Ave.

“Lineup” (1993, screenprint with gold-plated basketball shoes), 114 inches by 216 inches by 18 inches

“The exhibition opens with an early series of sculptures and installations revolving around the intersection of stereotypes of Black masculinity and the sports entertainment industry. ‘Lineup’ consists of eight pairs of gold-plated sneakers, which rest atop a low riser beneath a height chart like the ones used in police investigations. Around the time this work was created, these popular brands were associated with mainstream hip-hop and heavily targeted their advertisements to young Black men. In this installation, Simmons connects these sneakers to the pervasive stereotyping of Black youth as violent and criminal.”

“Hollywood” (2008, pigment, oil and cold wax on canvas), 84 inches by 120 inches

“In works such as this one, Simmons references the 1972 film Conquest of the Planet of the Apes. Often interpreted as an allegory for the rise of the Black liberation movement in the 1960s, the sequel bears strong resonances with the Watts Uprising that shook Los Angeles in 1965. Simmons uses his signature erasure technique to engulf the Hollywood sign in flames, evoking a vision of the city consumed by social, racial, and economic strife.”

“Recapturing Memories of the Black Ark” (2014-15)

“Inspired by the Black Ark—Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry’s famous recording studio in Kingston, Jamaica, where he pioneered dub reggae—Simmons’s sculptural installation ‘Recapturing Memories of the Black Ark’ serves as a flexible venue for live performances. The installation consists of a plywood stage and a set of speakers made from wood salvaged from the Tremé neighborhood of New Orleans in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Each time the work is installed, Simmons invites the exhibiting venue to program a local performance series in which the performers themselves are able to reconfigure and use the stage and speakers however they see fit.”

“Step into the Arena (The Essentialist Trap)” (1994, wood, metal, canvas, Ultrasuede, pigment, ropes, and shoes), 85 inches by 120 inches by 120 inches

“The exhibition includes ‘Step into the Arena (The Essentialist Trap)’, a scaled-down replica of a boxing ring with a chalkboard drawing on the floor depicting the footwork for a dance called the Cakewalk. The work alludes to Andy Warhol’s 1962 Dance Diagram works, as well as the strong association of the Cakewalk with early minstrel shows. By situating this diagram within the boxing ring, Simmons references the exploitation of Black individuals in sports, performance, and other forms of popular mass entertainment while alluding to how these arenas have often served as sites of resistance.”

“Disinformation Supremacy Board” (1989, 10 white boards and five desks), 104 inches by 154 inches by 50 inches

“In ‘Disinformation Supremacy Board,’ a set of writing desks face a row of narrow white chalkboards. A piece of white chalk rests at the base of each board, indicating a white-on-white application that would render any written text illegible. Here, Simmons brings to mind an educational system informed by a constricted, white worldview, impoverished by its exclusion of untold histories.”

“Hold Up Wait A Minute (detail),” (2020, oil and cold wax on canvas), 96 inches by 72 inches by 2 inches

“Recalling his early chalkboard drawings, Simmons’s painting ‘Hold Up, Wait a Minute’ features a partially erased rendering of Bosko, a Looney Tunes character whose appearance, mannerisms, and speech were derived from the blackface performances of vaudeville and minstrel shows. Translating his erasure technique to canvas, Simmons rakes his hands through wax and paint to create the impression of vibration, echoing the turbulence of our current moment.”

“Everforward…” (1993, leather, metallic gold thread, satin and nail), 26 inches by 16 inches by 5 inches

“This piece consists of a pair of white boxing gloves with the phrase ‘EverForward’ stitched on one glove and ‘NeverBack’ on the other. The work’s title is a double play on the Everlast boxing brand and the political phrase ‘Forward ever, backward never,’ coined by Ghana’s first prime minister Dr. Kwame Nkrumah. While the pristine, white gloves evoke a minimalist aesthetic, their color also highlights boxing’s violence by encouraging viewers to imagine the visual evidence the gloves would hold if used during a match.”

“Marnie’s Nightmare” (2006), installation view, 1964, Bohen Foundation, New York, New York, March 11-May 26, 2006

“The exhibition includes 1964, a monumental installation consisting of three large wall drawings rendered in red, green, and blue. Referencing the artist’s birth year, this work explores the dichotomy between individual lives and broader social upheavals, including the effects of 20th-century urbanism and the impact of the civil rights movement.”

“Reflection of a Future Past” (2006), installation view, 1964, Bohen Foundation, New York, New York, March 11-May 26, 2006

“In the Blink of an Eye” (2006), installation view, 1964, Bohen Foundation, New York, New York, March 11-May 26, 2006