January 26 - February 20, 2015

Radcliffe Bailey: Storm at Sea considers themes of ancestry, race, and memory. Often working with found materials, Bailey deftly creates artwork that explores the relationship between past and present.  In his installation, Storm at Sea, Bailey utilizes objects such as piano keys, an African sculpture, and a glitter-covered ship to suggest leitmotifs associated with the black experience of the transatlantic slave trade. Keys, which are methodically arranged on the floor, create a engulfing visual experience that references waves of the ocean, splintered boards of a wrecked ship, and the bones of those slaves who lost their lives during the transatlantic journey. The result is an exhibition that questions the accuracy of recorded history through carefully culled objects and their connotations. 

Radcliffe Bailey, Storm at Sea, 2007. Piano keys, African sculpture, model boat, paper, acrylic, glitter, gold leaf. 212 x 213 in. © Radcliffe Bailey. Courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY

Radcliffe Bailey, Astro Curing, 2013. Georgia clay, black sand, and wood. 76 x 76 in. © Radcliffe Bailey. Courtesy of Jack Shainman Gallery, New York, NY