New York Times Arts Reviewed
The New York Times Arts reviewed March shows featuring Deborah Roberts’s collages, Ursula von Rydingsvard’s wood sculptures, and Noel W Anderson’s works [https://x.com/i/status/2031055093869551955].
Deborah Roberts, born in 1962 in Austin, Texas, uses collage and mixed media to explore themes of race, identity, and the politics of gender. Her works often depict Black children, challenging beauty standards and stereotypes. Roberts combines found images with hand-painted or drawn elements to create hybrid figures that address the complexities of Black subjecthood. Ursula von Rydingsvard, born in Germany in 1942, is known for her large-scale cedar sculptures. Her works often evoke functional household objects and are shaped using circular saws and chisels. Von Rydingsvard's sculptures are often finished with a graphite patina. Noel W. Anderson, born in 1981 in Louisville, Kentucky, explores the mediation of socially constructed images on identity formation, particularly Black masculinity. Anderson utilizes print media and arts-based research. He manipulates and weaves images into tapestries, often distressing and dyeing the fibers to complicate the viewing experience. Anderson currently serves as the Area Head of Printmaking in NYU's Steinhardt Department of Art and Art Professions. His work has been showcased in venues like the Berlin Biennale and the Gwangju Biennale. Roberts was named a 2023 Texas Medal of Arts Award Honoree for Visual Arts.
