Tameka Norris's UK Solo Debut Explores Post-Katrina Fragility Through Sculptural Paintings
Tameka Norris's inaugural solo exhibition in the UK, titled Almost Acquaintances, delves into the deterioration of contemporary existence, inspired by her distant experience with Hurricane Katrina. The artist, also recognized as Meka-Jean or Mynameisnotshorty, showcases sculptural paintings crafted from shredded bedsheets, painted textiles, embroidery, and altered American flags, alluding to the search-and-rescue X-coding associated with Katrina. Having resided in LA during the 2005 disaster, Norris integrates remnants and titles that pay tribute to lost residences. Additionally, two previous video pieces depict Norris as a Black Venus, drawing connections to Michelangelo Pistoletto's Venus of the Rags. The exhibition, which intertwines political insights about New Orleans with personal stories, commenced in May 2014.
Key facts
- Tameka Norris's debut UK solo show is titled Almost Acquaintances
- The exhibition features sculptural paintings made from torn bedsheets, painted fabrics, embroidery, and manipulated American flags
- Norris explores her remote experience of Hurricane Katrina, which hit the Mississippi Gulf Coast in 2005
- The artist spent most of her life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast but was living in LA when Katrina struck
- One work, Empty Lot, Comes Predator (2014), references search-and-rescue X-coding with pink diamond arrangements
- The exhibition includes two earlier video works where Norris casts herself as a Black Venus responding to Michelangelo Pistoletto's Venus of the Rags
- Norris performs under alter egos Meka-Jean or Mynameisnotshorty and raps about being the resurrection of Jean-Michel Basquiat
- The show was reviewed in the May 2014 issue of ArtReview
Entities
Artists
- Tameka Norris
- Jean-Michel Basquiat
- Cindy Sherman
- Tracey Emin
- Yinka Shonibare
- Michelangelo Pistoletto
Institutions
- ArtReview
Locations
- United Kingdom
- Mississippi Gulf Coast
- New Orleans
- Los Angeles
- LA