Exhibition Feature - MICHAEL BOOKER: VEIL at Morton Fine Art
Photo by Jarrett Hendrix
Morton Fine Art is pleased to present Veil, a solo presentation of new works on paper by artist Michael Booker, on view through December 4, 2021. Rendered on paper and Yupo, Booker’s latest body of work depicts surreal scenes evocative of the artist’s psychological journey through tumult and towards inner peace.
In Booker’s compositions, portraits are partially shielded by swaths of color, and views are intercepted by lush organic forms. Joining geometric designs with figuration, Booker’s large-scale drawings are rich in dynamism and detail, the artist acting as a conductor of a broad symphony of colors and tones.
Owing to the drawing practice itself as a healing mechanism, Veil documents the emotional terrains crossed by the artist amidst the COVID-19 pandemic and concurrent instances of social injustice. The exhibition’s title gestures towards the strategies of emotional self-protection harnessed by the artist during periods of vulnerability and contemplation, barriers made visible in the layered effects captured by the drawings themselves.
I Need a Forest Fire, 2021, 35.5"x35.5", Fineliner pen, color pencil, watercolor and alcohol ink on paper and Yupo
Before I'm a Burden I, 2021, 36"x24", Fineliner pen, color pencil and watercolor on paper and Yupo
Before I'm a Burden II, 2021, 36"x36", Fineliner pen, watercolor and alcohol ink on paper and Yupo
CURATORIAL STATEMENT - by Amy Morton, Director of Morton Fine Art
Michael Booker is a master draughtsman who continues to push the psychological, emotional and technical boundaries of drawing in his solo exhibition Veil. He inks familiar figures in his work — including family and dear friends — using meditative mark-making and collage to preserve otherwise fleeting moments of introspection, vulnerability and grace. His most recent works are intimate, lasting, and evocative of a deeply examined life.
The Dreamer that Thought, 2021, 40"x30", Fineliner pen, color pencil and watercolor on paper and Yupo
Retrograde, 2021, 26"x22", Fineliner pen and watercolor on paper and Yupo
Thoughts on the Exhibition by Michael Booker:
Veil chronicles a personal emotional journey caused by the effects of a prolonged pandemic and moments of social injustices. Volatile social interactions became commonplace in both media and amongst friends. I found myself withdrawing from potentially uncomfortable situations I would otherwise engage in. Constant states of vulnerability and contemplation resulted in building a thin emotional wall to protect my own peace. Over time, a realization of resiliency set in, as these drawings became a form of cathartic therapy to search for a nuanced visual reflection of the turmoil that lingered within.
While developing this body of work, I turned to creating a playlist of songs that evoked the emotional tones invested in these drawings. From the expressions of emotional instability and uncertainty in Something Got a Hold and Unwritten, to the fight to relinquish control, aim for self-preservation, and urge for change and purification in I Need a Forest Fire, this curated sequence reflects my emotional journey in parallel with the works on view in Veil, culminating in the eventual climb towards optimism in A Little Better.
The full playlist:
Unwritten, 2020, 34"x25", Fineliner pen, watercolor and doily on paper and Yupo
The Wait of the World, 2021, 40"x36", Fineliner pen, color pencil, watercolor and alcohol ink on paper and Yupo
Veil will be on display through December 4, 2021 at Morton Fine Art.
Introduction and all images courtesy of the artist and Morton Fine Art.
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ARTIST BIOGRAPHY
Michael Booker is a mixed media artist originally from Jackson, Mississippi who currently resides in Maryland. He received his BFA in Studio Art – Painting from Mississippi State University in 2008, and received his MFA in Studio Art from University of Maryland in 2012. He has exhibited in various galleries across Mississippi, Alabama, North Carolina, Maine, Maryland, Virginia, and Washington DC. His work has been acquired by the David C. Driskell Center in College Park, MD. He is an Assistant Professor of Art at Montgomery College Takoma Park/Silver Spring. Booker has been represented by Morton Fine Art in Washington, DC since 2019.
