We had the opportunity to meet artist Glenn Ligon on February 8,
2001 at Artists & Youth: A Dialogue. We had a conversation
with him about his work, which is on display at the Whitney Museum
and branch Museum Philip Morris, in New York City. Glenn Ligon clued
us in to the materials he uses, such as coal dust, and the cultural
implications in his work. Ligon was friendly and kind enough to
answer all of our questions.
Glenn Ligon, a painter engaged in issues of identity, incorporates text from James Baldwin's 1953 essay "Stranger in the Village" into his painting currently hanging in the Whitney's Permanent Collection exhibition on the 2nd floor.
Glenn Ligon said, "I don't know if art can heal the world. I don't think that necessarily that is its best job because I think the work that stuck with me the most, that's meant the most to me was the work that pissed me off the most, that pushed my boundaries...".
Responses/Opinions of Three Youth Insights Participants:
Our opinions:
Azikiwe: "Glenn Ligon's work goes down easier with dialogue. Hearing him speak so articulately about his work made me appreciate a seemingly simple process. His words gave those he used in the text paintings new life, and elaborated on the small amount of words he uses in his paintings. He made each painting consisting only of a few sentences seem almost like volumes."
Frainceska: " Glenn Ligon was the most extraordinary artist I have met. He totally changed my perception on contemporary artists. His work is extremely inviting to audiences of all races because it is so open to interpretation. The abstraction he creates with this work draws nearer the minds of people who have unanswered questions about identity, but never seems to directly answer those questions. However, it leaves their minds pondering the endless possibilities this world has to offer."
Crystal: "Glenn Ligon's art is really challenging because of his language. You think that you can rely on the words in his art, but in fact, Ligon asks the viewer to look beyond the familiar text into the idea of 'expression' itself. Every time I approach his art, the struggle between what you see and what you get never fails to work. The contradiction in Ligon's art is never completely resolved, but the force and suspension of it always keeps us thinking."
 Questions:
A lot of Ligon's work deals with identity. How would you define yourself?
Email your answer!
Why do you think Ligon choose coal dust and black oil sticks as materials for his art?
Email your answer!
What materials would you use to talk about identity?
Email your answer!
© 2001 Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, New York
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