Compositional Constructs with Social, Political, and Spiritual Overtones – A Selection of Methods and Content from 1990 to 2020: Larry Walker at Marietta Cobb Museum of Art, Georgia.
Larry Walker, Crouching Fears – Hidden Dangers, 2020.
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Last month, the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art held an exhibition for the incomparable Larry Walker – a collage, mixed material and charcoal artist who’s work focuses on the urban environments he’s traversed during his 85 years on this earth. On September 19th, his solo exhibition, Compositional Constructs with Social, Political, and Spiritual Overtones – A Selection of Methods and Content from 1990 to 2020, contained a collection of paintings, portraits, posters, sketches and artifacts that embodied the struggle and plight that black men and women have experienced in the United States for hundreds of years.
Mr. Walker’s rural Georgia upbringing, along with his momentary stops in Harlem, Detroit, and California, allowed him create a body of work that translates throughout a multitude of generations; pulling inspiration from events of historical significance, all the way to modern film and television, and occurrences that permeate popular culture. It is also important to note the variety of mediums used in this exhibition - The Marietta Cobb Museum of Art’s gallery located in the faculty’s first level was spacious, and the emptiness of its lower entrance provided the perfect atmosphere to showcase the gravity of Larry Walker’s work, from top to bottom.
Larry Walker, Recessed Wall with Dream Catcher, 2019.
The opening visual of Compositional Constructs, is that of two pillars, wrapped in newspaper clippings, promotion posters and street signs; served as an ode to the precariousness of life in many of this nation’s impoverished cities, but a testament to its inhabitant’s creativity, and the aesthetic beauty of the “neighborhood” – as some people describe it. His piece entitled Recessed Wall with Dream Catcher, Wall Spirits and Other Secret Manifestations, finds Walker using mixed materials and collages that represent the “urban surfaces” that tackle difficult human struggles such as isolation, existentialism, and social inequity. He draws a connecting line between overlooked black settings, the traditional concept of the American landscape, and displays of the human spirit.
A common theme in many the paintings throughout this exhibition is the silhouette of a man walking in the different stages of life. This image is symbolic of the various points in Larry Walker’s life when he exited one habitat after exhausting all of the creative resources that the location had to offer him, thus progressing into the next stage of his journey. He makes the uncertainty of new living conditions the most prevalent in Crouching Fears – Hidden Dangers. Compositional Constructs is a visual exploration of the life, times, and experiences of Larry Walker. Through his eyes, one can see the both the beauty and the pain associated with the black experience – a timely exhibition for the current state of our nation.
Larry Walker’s Compositional Constructs with Social, Political, and Spiritual Overtones – A Selection of Methods and Content from 1990 to 2020 is on view at the Marietta Cobb Museum of Art in Marietta, Georgia, through December 13.