A poignant new artwork by the artist Titus Kaphar graces the cover of this week’s issue of Time Magazine…TIME: Special Report: Speak Their Names. Time dedicates this new issue to the recent murder of George Floyd by Minneapolis police officers and the enraged protests that have roiled the nation and the world.
Titus Kaphar’s “Analogous Colors” is the painting of a black mother in emotional distress holding the silhouette of a child she has lost with the canvas cut away to convey her loss. It also references George Floyd calling out for his mother during his arrest and drew his last breath while pinned down by 4 police officers. Time’s iconic red borders list the names of 35 black men and women killed by systemic racism frame the painting.
To appreciate it’s full context, along with the painting Kaphar wrote:
“This black mother understands the fire. Black mothers understand despair. I can change nothing in this world, but in paint, I can realize her, That brings me solace…not hope, but solace. She walks me through the flames of rage, My black mother rescues me yet again. I want to be sure that she is seen. I want to be certain that her story is told. And so this time, America must hear her voice.”
I first discovered Titus Kaphar’s paintings at the Jack Shainman Gallery in 2015. A gifted artist, I was immediately drawn in by his classically-inspired painterly style, brought into contemporary relevance by layering sections of manipulated canvas as a device to stand in for specific emotions or lack thereof. Notably, Henri Matisse and Diego Velázquez are two of his favorite painters from the Old-Master period.
Kaphar delves into American history depicting events predominantly around issues of slavery, incarceration or colonialism, the continuous narrative throughout his work.
Father and Son, 2010 oil on canvas Photo: Jon Lam Photography
In this portrait W.E.B. DuBois is seemingly cradling an infant swaddled in a blanket. In actuality the blanket is canvas stitched on separately representing the child he lost to diphtheria, because he could not find a doctor who would treat his child.
“The infant dies not of the disease as much as the deliberate discarding of black life, shadowed into insignificance, worthless” as expressed during an interview with Brdget R. Cooks for Gagosian Quarterly. The extreme subject matter not withstanding, this is a beautifully detailed work and the canvas rendered as a blanket is just exquisite.
“Seeing Through Time 2,” 2018
“Shadows of Liberty,” 2016, oil and rusted nails on canvas - Yale University Art Gallery
Titus Kaphar in his New Haven art studio seated in front of his painting “The Aftermath” (2020) - photo John Lucas
Titus Kaphar graduated from Yale School of Art and resides in New Haven Connecticut. He recently moved to the Gagosian Gallery, one of the world’s top galleries. He’s also a recipient of the distinguished MacArthur Foundation “genius” grant. His work is in permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Brooklyn Museum and the Yale University Art Gallery.
“Jerome I,” 2014, oil, gold leaf and tar on wood panel, is part of the Jerome Project, inspired by a reconciliation with the artist’s father.