Already well known for her interest in the representation of the female form throughout art history, Mickalene Thomas’ new show at Lehmann Maupin in New York further deconstructs tropes that are commonly associated with the male gaze. Drawing on the Cubist propensities of Picasso and Braque, Thomas offers us a colourful new take on the female face, liberally embellished with rhinestones and glitter. While she primarily used powerful black women as subjects in her previous work, Tête de Femme signals a shift towards collaged geometric cutouts.
Thomas’ portraits are mostly untitled with the exception of Carla, emphasizing the universal and simultaneously anonymous nature of the human face. Also notable are the highly textural surfaces of her portraits, composed with intricate layers of oil paint, pastels, wood, graphite and other materials. She states: “For me that's what is very exciting about this departure, although they're based on black women, we're all connected, they could be anyone. It's not necessarily rooted in the identity of blackness or black beauty but more beauty itself and the essence of a person."
Tête de Femme runs at Lehmann Maupin until 8 August.
Lehmann Maupin, 540 West 26th Street, New York
Images courtesy of the artist and the gallery.
