Wardell Milan’s practice is conceptually grounded in photography, often using photographs as initial inspiration behind composition of drawings and collages. Referencing artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Diane Arbus, Andres Serrano,...
Wardell Milan’s practice is conceptually grounded in photography, often using photographs as initial inspiration behind composition of drawings and collages. Referencing artists such as Robert Mapplethorpe, Diane Arbus, Andres Serrano, Alec Soth, and Eugene Richards, Milan appropriates, and in some cases re-appropriates the photographs, and thus the bodies depicted. Milan also uses images and objects to establish allegorical connections between history and contemporary events. By exploring the daily lives of White nationalists, from their morning rituals and social gatherings to their most intimate moments, Milan reveals the banality of hate. As we remain passive observers both within Milan’s portrayals and as witnesses to them, it becomes necessary for us to question our own preconceived morality.
Wardell Milan: Amerika. God Bless You If It’s Good To You, Bronx Museum, New York (June 23 - October 24, 2021) Wardell Milan. Death, Wine, Revolt: Uneventful Days, David Nolan Gallery, Los Angeles (Culver City Pop-Up, Exhibition, February 9 - 22, 2020)