Jack Shainman Gallery presents Malick Sidibé’s sixth solo exhibition at the gallery, which chronicles this living master’s iconic career, beginning in 1950s Bamako, Mali, where he still lives and works. Many of this diverse selection of vintage and contemporary black-and-white prints have never before been exhibited, yet solidify Sidibé’s lasting influence in today’s art world. Street scenes and studio shots, while formally distinct from each other, all capture a pervasive sense of freedom and identity amongst youth in postcolonial Mali and continue to speak to a shared spirit of modernity and diaspora.
While internationally acclaimed for his formal portrait studio and candid shots of exuberant parties and nightclubs, Malick Sidibé presents lesser known works to provide context for the depth of the artist’s diverse practice. Street scenes and images like Horloger dans son Atelier (1963/2008) and Le Technicien de Radio Mali (1966/2008) capture everyday Malians at their jobs with the same intensity of the iconic studio work, while featuring subjects comfortably in their element.
The recent series, Vue de Dos (2001—ongoing), which depicts women turned with their often bare backs to the camera, marks an important shift in Sidibé’s career. Previously, he had never considered himself a fine artist, although his studio work and candid images gave rise to artistic impact that has resonated for decades. By taking on a classic genre of art history—the female nude—Sidibé comes to terms with his legacy as a major creative force of African culture in the second half of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st. Considered risqué, Sidibé resists exhibiting this work in his native country.
EXHIBITION
Malick Sidibé
From March 17th to April 23rd, 2016
Jack Shainman Gallery
513 W 20th St. New York
New York 10011
United States
Tel: 212.645.1701
http://www.jackshainman.com
