
Reggie Burrows Hodges: Mela
Edith Devaney(Editor)
Skira (Publisher)
Will be published approx. on 31. July 2026
Book
Hardback
192 pages
978-88-572-5537-8 (ISBN)
Description
African-American painter Reggie Burrows Hodges (b. 1965, Compton, California) pursues a strong visual narrative in his works, which explore questions of identity, community and memory. Published on the occasion of his solo exhibition at MICAS, this publication features recent paintings which illustrate Hodges' singular technique of employing a black ground across his canvases and then developing the scene around his figures with painterly, loose brushwork. A technique which deliberately plays with perceptions by reducing the focus on the human figure, which is essentially formed by the negative space within the composition; a practice which accentuates the environment where the figures are situated rather than the figures themselves. As he notes, "I start with a black ground [as a way] of dealing with blackness' totality. I'm painting an environment in which the figures emerge from negative space… if you see my paintings in person, you'll look at the depth." Hodges' early study of performance and film brings a sense of dramatic staging to his compositions, which, coupled by a softness in the application of paint, ensures a subtlety of approach in addressing the challenging universal themes of existence which he explores.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Milan
Italy
Illustrations
70
Dimensions
Height: 300 mm
Width: 280 mm
ISBN-13
978-88-572-5537-8 (9788857255378)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Edith Devaney is the artistic director at MICAS. For twenty years she was a senior curator at the Royal Academy of Arts where she was responsible for originating and curating exhibitions such as Jasper Johns; 'Something Resembling Truth' exhibition in 2017 and Abstract Expressionism in 2016. She also curated the David Hockney exhibition, 82 Portraits and one still-life, and originated and co-curated the Hockney landscape exhibition, A Bigger Picture, in 2012, and Richard Diebenkorn in 2015. In her capacity as Head of Summer Exhibition at the Royal Academy of Arts, she worked with many international contemporary artists on both the curation of this annual exhibition and special projects and displays relating to it.