In this episode of the Seeing series, Carrie chats with Hank Willis Thomas, Brooklyn, NY based conceptual artist working primarily with themes related to perspective, identity, commodity, media, and popular culture (and that's putting it mildly).
From Carrie: "I tried not to fangirl in our interview with Hank, but not sure I completely succeeded. This is a man who is referencing so much and then laying it bare for us if we're willing to engage with the work, if we're willing to really look. On first view, you can't see everything, but with a light and some time and planting your feet firmly in the ground in front of the work, you can see things that you might not otherwise have seen. And I think that that is the point of his work, right? He's trying to get us to look. And we barely scratched the surface. I have 20 other questions that I could have asked him, but I think we got to the heart of what makes Hank think. It made me realize how avant-garde his work really is, how ahead of the curve he really is. Because this is a conversation that we desperately need to have right now. It's relevant. It's on point. It is so timely. And it really is so now."
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About the Seeing Series
The Seeing Series gets to the heart of what makes an artist tick. By always searching for the motivating truth behind an artist’s practice, we give viewers insider access to some of the most exciting artists in the world, all in a down-to-earth, honest way. From established artists like Rashid Johnson to emerging stars like Simonette Quamina, we speak to the good and the great of the artworld, ultimately creating an accurate portrait of how creatives survive, flourish and function today.