FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

January 21, 2020

Zoë Charlton’s “Rendition” Addresses Cultural Identity, Race, Commodity, Cultural Tokenism

Opening Reception is February 8 in CulturalDC’s Mobile Art Gallery at Union Market

To arrange an interview with artist Zoë Charlton, contact Janice L. Kaplan, 202-277-5461 or JaniceLKaplan@JaniceLKaplan.com.

                       

Washington, DC – Several formative experiences have shaped D.C. and Baltimore-based artist Zoë Charlton’s career and inspired her work. Growing up, she was a frequent visitor to her grandmother’s blue house and wooded property in the Florida panhandle, a place that was “dense with growth and large with memory,” where extended family frequently gathered. At Florida State University, one of Charlton’s mentors, the late Ed Love, told her to “make sure you study with people who look like you.” He knew something she didn’t fully understand at the time: by being intentional about who you surround yourself with, you are building a community – a concept that would increasingly become important in her art and in her life. More recently, Charlton purchased from a Baltimore antique store a life-sized African figure from Cameroon and named it “Sib,” because she immediately identified the sculpture as a sibling or as kin. She calls it her doppelgänger.

 

These memories and moments have led to Charlton’s latest exhibition, “Rendition,” which addresses cultural identity, race, commodity and cultural tokenism. The exhibit will be on view in CulturalDC’s Mobile Art Gallery from Feb. 8 to March 22. The gallery, which is a renovated shipping container, will be placed outside the main entrance to Union Market, 1309 5th Street, NE. 

 

“My hope is that this installation sparks a conversation about the commercialization of culture and how race and cultural identity play a role in so many aspects of our lives, frequently without us even noticing,” said Charlton. “‘Rendition’ asks viewers to think about how blackness is used to sell everything from clothing and shoes to African sculptures.”

 

“CulturalDC purposely places its mobile exhibitions in locations that contextualize the art,” said Executive Director Kristi Maiselman. “It’s no coincidence that Zoë’s exhibit is on view in Washington, D.C.’s lively warehouse and market district.”

 

An opening reception will be held Feb. 8 from 4 to 6 p.m. in the Mobile Art Gallery. The gallery is open Wednesday to Sunday from noon to 6 p.m. Admission is free. “Rendition” is made possible in partnership with the Union Market District and EDENS.

 

“Rendition”

The exhibition includes:

 

·        Forty brightly colored masks, made from molds of African masks, hanging on the gallery walls.

·        Half a dozen brightly colored replicas of “Sib,” which was likely created as tourist art, placed throughout the gallery. Standing five-feet tall with hair in big knots, the sculptures are the same height and have a similar hairstyle to the artist. Charlton’s masks and figures have the appearance of being mass-produced from inexpensive materials – like so many commercial products on the market today. “Rendition” is a commentary on the value of art – and of people.

·        A large-scale collage that takes up an entire wall of the Mobile Art Gallery. With references to Charlton’s grandmother’s house and landscape as well as “Sib,” the elaborate and colorful collage is created with vinyl stickers created by the artist.

 

In addition, CulturalDC has commissioned Charlton to create a limited-edition print that will be for sale in the gallery. Each print, similar in design to the collage on the gallery wall, will feature a unique element added by the artist.

 

About Zoë Charlton

Charlton, who works from studios in both D.C. and Baltimore, has served on the faculty of The American University art department for 16 years, including as chair. She received her MFA degree from the University of Texas at Austin and BFA in painting and drawing from Florida State University. She participated in residencies at Artpace San Antonio, the Skowhegan School of Painting, the Ucross Foundation, the McColl Center for Art + Innovation, and at The Creative Alliance in Baltimore. Her work has been included in national and international group exhibitions including at the Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, the Harvey B. Gantt Center, Contemporary Art Museum in Houston, the Studio Museum of Harlem, the Zacheta National Gallery of Art in Warsaw, Poland.  Public collections include Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, Birmingham Museum of Art, Studio Museum in Harlem, and the Phillips Collection (DC). She was also an animator for Flat Black Films in Austin, Texas, currently holds a seat on the Maryland State Arts Council and is a co-founder of ‘sindikit, an artist project space in Baltimore.

 

About CulturalDC

CulturalDC sees the arts as a driving force in building sustainable communities by providing a wide range of programs and services that support artists’ ability to live and work in the DMV and by giving audiences access to affordable and accessible cutting-edge visual and performing art. Since 1998, CulturalDC has brokered more than 300,000 square feet of artist space, including the Arts Walk at Monroe Street Market, Atlas Performing Arts Center, GALA Hispanic Theatre, Source Theatre and Woolly Mammoth Theatre. In addition to providing space, we facilitate opportunities for and present innovative visual, performing and multidisciplinary artists.

 

Now in its third season, CulturalDC’s Mobile Arts Program challenges the limitations of traditional art spaces by bringing relevant, accessible art directly to local audiences. Under the umbrella theme of Ex(Change), the current season features artists who are actively redefining personal and socio-political narratives through a cross-cultural lens. The Mobile Art Gallery is the District’s first moveable art space and has a commitment to use art as a catalyst to build community. Visit www.culturaldc.org; Facebook: CulturalDC; Instagram: @cultural_dc; or Twitter: Cultural_DC.

 

About the Union Market District

The Union Market District is a place where businesses of all sizes launch, scale and innovate; a place for creative minds and businesses to connect, thrive, discover and make D.C. their own. Located a short walk from the United States Capitol and NoMa/Gallaudet Metro station, the Union Market District is a 45- acre historic urban development where, at its core, sits the acclaimed food market, Union Market. Since opening in 2012, Union Market has created its own thriving international community now averaging nearly 3 million visitors annually. With Michelin-recognized restaurants and retail concepts from both coasts, the District has hosted more than 500 pop-ups and events. The Union Market District is also home to several artists in residence, including John Dreyfuss, Maggie Michael and Dan Steinhilber. A contemporary Latin American market, La Cosecha, opened in the District in September 2019 on 4th Street. For more information, visit www.unionmarketdc.com or follow @UnionMarketDC on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

 

About EDENS

EDENS is a retail real estate owner, operator and developer of a nationally leading portfolio of 125 places. Our purpose is to enrich community through human engagement. We know that when people come together, they feel a part of something bigger than themselves and prosperity follows— economically, socially, culturally and soulfully. For information, visit www.edens.com or follow @WeAreEDENS.

 

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