Buck Ellison's 'Little Brother' Exhibition Critiques Erik Prince and Blackwater at Luhring Augustine
Photographer Buck Ellison, based in Los Angeles, showcases 'Little Brother' at Luhring Augustine in New York until April 29, centering on Erik Prince, the founder of Blackwater. The exhibition includes six photographs from 2021 and a video from 2022, featuring three images from the 2022 Whitney Biennial. Ellison recreates scenes from 2003 with a Prince lookalike on a ranch in Wyoming, delving into themes of wealth, militarism, and conservatism. Notable elements include nods to Prince's autobiography and tax documents. The 2023 silkscreened wallpaper 'Five Windows' depicts his privatized military strategies as an 'East India Company approach.' The video 'Little Brother' (2022) juxtaposes Prince's scenes with ranch vistas, prompting reflections on American identity and power structures.
Key facts
- Exhibition 'Little Brother' by Buck Ellison at Luhring Augustine, New York
- Focuses on Erik Prince, founder of Blackwater, brother of Betsy DeVos
- Includes six photographs (2021) and one video (2022)
- Three photographs featured in the 2022 Whitney Biennial
- Scenes set in 2003 on an approximation of Prince's family ranch in Wyoming
- Wallpaper 'Five Windows' (2023) references East India Company and opium pipes
- Video 'Little Brother' set to gospel song 'Stand on the Word'
- Exhibition runs through April 29
Entities
Artists
- Buck Ellison
- Erik Prince
- Carl von Clausewitz
- Ernest Hemingway
- Carl Menger
- Donald Trump
- Betsy DeVos
Institutions
- Luhring Augustine
- Blackwater
- Whitney Biennial
- Hillsdale College
- New Yorker
- East India Company
- US government
Locations
- New York
- United States
- Los Angeles
- Afghanistan
- Iraq
- Wyoming
- Kabul