Spanning nearly a decade of his dynamic artistic practice, the exhibition delves into the dreams of Black paradise, focusing on themes of self-determination and autonomy. Mitchell’s work transcends traditional boundaries, offering a fresh perspective on what it means to live, thrive, and create as a Black artist today.
Header Image: New Horizons II, 2022, Tyler Mitchell, Wish This Was Real, C/O Berlin
An Exploration in Three Acts
The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections, each highlighting a different facet of Mitchell’s artistic journey. The first section is dedicated to portraiture. Mitchell captures the essence of Black identity through intimate, powerful images. These images challenge stereotypes and elevate the subject’s humanity. His work in this area is a testament to the power of youth and self-expression, reflecting his upbringing in Atlanta. There, he was exposed to the systemic prejudices that have long been imprinted on the lives of Black Americans.
The second section focuses on the relationship between the natural world and the inheritance of memory, exploring how these elements intertwine with personal and collective experiences. Here, Mitchell turns his lens toward the environment. He uses the natural world as a backdrop to examine the complexities of belonging. Whilst looking into the search for autonomy. His latest works are printed on mirrors and different fabrics. They further extend this exploration, offering thes viewers a chance to engage with the art in a tactile, reflective way. This engagement bridges the past and present.
Reclaiming the Power of Play
Mitchell’s first project, the eponymous Wish This Was Real, serves as a poignant exploration of the prejudiced construction of stereotypes about young Black men. The video depicts four of Mitchell’s friends playfully fighting with water guns, their joy interspersed with scenes of them lounging together, arms entwined.
The bright, electric colors and vibrant backdrops create an aesthetically tantalizing atmosphere, contrasting sharply with the darker undertones of its context. Developed after the beginning of the Black Lives Matter movement in 2013, this piece challenges the racist associations that permeate American culture, particularly the image of Black men as inherently violent. By decontextualizing the image of a gun, Mitchell reclaims the narrative, highlighting the human emotions of pleasure and leisure that are often denied to Black men in public perception.
Mapping the Black Search for Autonomy
One of Mitchell’s central missions is to validate the Black search for autonomy, closeness, and community. The exhibition chronologically maps his artistic journey, following the complex questions he poses about agency and belonging. Mitchell’s process is one of continuous inquiry—asking questions, finding answers, and then exploring the new questions that emerge. This methodical approach is akin to turning over the stones of history, revealing the hidden and forgotten aspects of Black life that demand recognition and celebration.
Mitchell’s work draws heavily on the legacy of canonical Black artists of the 20th century, such as Toni Morrison. Like Morrison, who hauntingly unraveled the trauma of memory in her novels, Mitchell rescues and celebrates the overlooked aspects of Black life, particularly within the domestic sphere. His work elevates the significance of home and safety as central to the Black experience, echoing Morrison’s exploration of memory and trauma as they are inscribed onto appearance and identity.
A Sacred Space: The Examination of Home
One of the exhibition’s standout pieces is a project Mitchell created for the Gordon Parks foundation, in which he examines the life of a Black family as a microcosm of the Black American experience. His photos frame the key elements that create comfort and security within the private sphere. They emphasize the importance of home as a sanctuary. For Black families, private spaces hold immense value because they offer solace and protection from the outside world—a place where one can truly relax and be oneself. Mitchell’s exploration of this theme is particularly poignant in its depiction of the home as a sacred space, a vital refuge in a society that often marginalizes Black identities.
The Interplay of Beauty and Historical Suffering
Underlying the beauty and simplicity of Mitchell’s photography are the complex, often painful narratives of historical trauma and suffering. His work is unapologetically modern, yet it remains deeply connected to the realities of Black life in the past. For instance, the exhibition examines the symbolism of the white picket fence—a post-war emblem of the nuclear family in white America, which also represents a physical manifestation of the rejection and fear of the “other.”
In this context, the “other” is a racialized concept, and the Black experience is frequently jarred, confined, and pushed to the margins of this ideal. Mitchell’s work exposes the tension between the promise of progress and the ongoing struggle for true equality, asking whether the improvements heralded in Black lives are as substantial as they appear.
In Wish This Was Real, Tyler Mitchell asserts his voice as one of the most prominent artists of his generation. The artist also invites viewers to reconsider the narratives surrounding Black identity and belonging. Through his lens, the complexities of the Black experience are given a new, vibrant life. This life is rich with beauty, resilience, and an unyielding search for truth.
Wish This Was Real runs at the C/O Gallery until September 4th 2024
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