New monograph examines Black Mask's radical 1960s art activism and legacy
Nadja Millner-Larsen's book, 'Up Against the Real: Black Mask from Art to Action', delves into the radical group Black Mask, which emerged in Downtown Manhattan during the mid-1960s. Initially rooted in Dadaist influences, they produced a broadsheet in late 1966 following an attempt to close the Museum of Modern Art. This publication merged aesthetic discussions with political discourse, incorporating texts from liberation movements in the Third World. In 1968, they rebranded as Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, broadening their membership to include a racially diverse youth counterculture. Millner-Larsen's work, released by University of Chicago Press, links their activism to modernism's challenges and reflects on their impact on today's disruptive politics in relation to museums. The softcover edition retails for $35.
Key facts
- Black Mask was a radical collective active in the mid-1960s in Downtown Manhattan.
- The group published a broadsheet starting in late 1966 after trying to shut down the Museum of Modern Art.
- Black Mask adopted tactics from Black liberation groups and used a black mask as a symbol of anonymity.
- In 1968, the group changed its name to Up Against the Wall Motherfucker, inspired by Amiri Baraka's poem.
- Nadja Millner-Larsen's monograph 'Up Against the Real: Black Mask from Art to Action' is the first on the group.
- The book connects Black Mask to references like Michael Fried, the 1965 Watts Rebellion, and Frantz Fanon.
- Black Mask's legacy influences contemporary activists like Strike MoMA and Just Stop Oil.
- The monograph is published by University of Chicago Press and costs $35 in softcover.
Entities
Artists
- Nadja Millner-Larsen
- Amiri Baraka
- Michael Fried
- Frantz Fanon
Institutions
- Museum of Modern Art
- University of Chicago Press
- Strike MoMA
- Just Stop Oil
Locations
- Downtown Manhattan
- New York
- United States
- Los Angeles