A black, blood-soaked warrior holds a sword. Chain mail hangs from her head. It’s there one second and gone the next.
This vision was given to Delaney George in a dream and formed her movie The King Is Dead. She filled in the gaps in the story by putting the warrior on a horse. The photo was presented in Frieze with gallery 90220, making George, at age 25, the youngest black photographer to show her work at the art festival.
Now the work will be part of a solo exhibition at Gallery 90220 entitled Notre Recit, presented alongside The Inspirations & Joys of an Immigrant Child by multidisciplinary visual artist Will “WCMTL” Raojenina. The exhibit includes “The King Is Dead,” “Chipo,” and “Illuminate” from Gallery 90220’s Frieze booth, as well as a portfolio of work focused on the expression of black women.
“I am constantly inspired by the essence of black women and their femininity,” she says. “Black women are art.”
George says she often introduces herself in her photos and tries to “walk in my power” with her subjects. This is true for “The King is Dead”. While the play is “set” in the Middle Ages, when most black women were oppressed, she portrayed her subjects as a powerful figure. In The King Is Dead, she presents the woman as someone who has ‘broken through’ societal expectations and has overcome all trials. She killed the king, “the only thing that tried to suppress her,” says George.
George ventured into photography around 2014 after her mother bought her her first camera. At that time she was modeling. Soon she started making her own portfolio, conceptualizing photos, styling them and exploring locations.
“The concepts were so deep and so amazing that I realized I couldn’t be the role model for everything,” says George. “That then inspired me to pick up a camera and apply those concepts to other people.”
Her photography is heavily influenced by her upbringing in New Orleans. She remembers running through the French Quarter as a child, surrounded by artists and jazz musicians. Her family roots run deep; Her great-grandfather is Cie Frazier, the original drummer for the Preservation Hall Jazz Band.
“New Orleans feels like a person, like a god,” she says, comparing the city to an inspiring older black woman.
“Growing up with this spiritual presence has really carried over into my practice, not just because I portray powerful, female characters, but I think the essence of a powerful, female character has accompanied me as a child and throughout my childhood life,” she says .
Her work captures the essence of the mother figures in her life, including her mother, aunt and grandmother. Hometown Glory was inspired by her aunt and captures her through the style, hair and nails that are central to the work.
“As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned that many of the black women I’ve been inspired by — I love them for certain aspects of their personalities — but are often demonized in society because of a lot of things I’ve praised,” says George .
She wants to show other black women the beauty of their existence, either through their fashion or their voice. George witnessed those moments at Frieze firsthand.
“Every time I see a black person walk into Frieze in this picture, their reaction and happiness and joy to be there is so warm to me,” she says.
This year’s frieze was the first George ever attended. She said it was “surreal” to see her work in the artistic environment she grew up in. But at the same time it was a reminder of the lack of representation at prestigious art events and institutions.
“When I first started working in museums and within museums, a lot of black people, not just women, told me that they had never been to a particular museum, that they had never really had a reason to identify with it. not,” she cried.
Few of Frieze’s works put black people in the spotlight, which, according to George, “shows that there is, unfortunately, much more to be done”.
Next, she plans to modernize works by Memphis-based photographer Ernest Withers for an upcoming exhibition and explore interactive and participatory art in her practice.
Another upcoming project is a sculpture featuring a six-foot bust of a black woman with an afro. It will occupy space and presence, inviting visitors to bring in Afro-kissing with messages and art. When it’s done, it will be a community art project.
As she switches mediums, George continues to put black female figures at the forefront of her work, providing a point of reference for black viewers.
“I think it’s great that people are really happy to see themselves in my work and see something they can relate to in a place like Frieze, but I think it should be more common,” she says.
Source: LA Times