Michael Paul Britto
Something In The Way Of Things
Organized by Visiting Curator: Dexter Wimberly
September 24–December 19, 2015
Opening Reception Thursday, September 24, 6–9pm
Aljira, a Center for Contemporary Art, 591 Broad Street, Newark, NJ.
Arches, 2015.
About:
Aljira is pleased to present Something In The Way Of Things, a provocative and timely solo exhibition of work by artist Michael Paul Britto.
Moms Mabley, 2014.
Consisting of collage, sculpture, and video, as well as a site-specific installation, the exhibition addresses political and cultural awareness, as well as the misconceptions and assumptions communicated by mass media in The United States. Britto’s practice challenges and encourages the viewer to think about socially nurtured assumptions of Blackness, poverty, youth, as well as the characteristics of acceptable behavior to create a perspective that is more responsive than reactionary. By reclaiming that which has been appropriated, Britto presents messages that reflect the global influence of American culture.
Selfportrait, 2013.
“The significant experiences of my life, both past and present, have served as material for these creative explorations, while enhancing my role as a youth educator, which I consider an important part of my artistic practice. I understand intimately how an environment of instability and confusion can devastate, but also how these personal histories can be inspirational and serve as a touchstone for thoughtful exchange,” Britto says.
Urkle, 2014.
“There is a perennial need for artists who create work that generates dialogue and inspires meaningful action around issues of equality and human rights. Britto has mined his personal experiences and channeled them into a body of work that is artistically sincere and socially powerful,” states visiting curator, Dexter Wimberly.
The exhibition’s title is an ode to African-American poet, activist and scholar, Amiri Baraka’s (1934 – 2014), “Something in the way of Things (In Town)”, a poem that underscores the quest for social justice and explores interrelated issues of race, national oppression, self-determination and national liberation for Black people.
Brown Man Project, 2014.
About Michael Paul Britto
Michael Paul Britto graduated with a BA from the City College of New York. Michael’s works range from videos to digital photography, sculpture, collage, and performance. Britto has had residencies at the New Museum in New York as well as Smack Mellon, The Marie Walsh Sharpe Foundation and LMCC. Michael has been featured in shows at El Museo del Barrio, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The Kitchen in New York, The Zacheta National Gallery in Warsaw, and the Victoria and Albert Museum in England. Britto’s work has been reviewed in The New York Times, Art in America and the Brooklyn Rail. www.brittofied.com
Courtesy of the artist.