Crisis - Donald Rodney - Graves Art Gallery

Solo show at Graves Art Gallery. 1988 - 1989
Date: 30 November, 1988 until 1 April, 1989

Extracts from the exhibition press release: “The show is called Crisis and was mostly produced whilst on an artist’s placement in Sheffield at The Hub Community Centre, Sharrow Lane. Being a black centre, The Hub wanted a contemporary black artist to produce work which touched and dealt with issues involving a wide and diverse audience. Within this brief I was to establish a visual discourse that would produce meaning without mimicking western Art tradition - “Our Master’s Voice”.

Crisis has several possible meanings: POLITICAL CRISIS: This is the third term of New Right Politics and all gains by the left have diminished from our memory. WORLD CRISIS: The eco-structure has been, and still continues to face attacks from chemicals and our waste. Also CRISIS: The name given to a Sickle Cell attack, a blood disorder, that I and many other black people suffer from. I took this as my starting point for the residency. Sickle Cell affects only black and some mediterranean people. Within the society blacks are perceived widely as the disease within the body politic of Britain. The illness metaphor is the key to decode the visuals. The titles should be taken as a running commentary on real events within recent history.
Donald Rodney, February 1989”

»  Acons/Rodney

Review relating to an exhibition, 1989

»  Crisis

Press release relating to an exhibition, 1989

»  Donald Rodney | In Retrospect

Invite relating to an exhibition, 2008

»  Donald Rodney | In Retrospect - invite

Invite relating to an exhibition, 2008

»  On Black Art - Emmanuel Cooper

Article relating to an exhibition, 1989