Los Angeles artist Shinique Smith’s exhibit, Parade, at The Ringling prompts a dialogue about the European Old Masters whose works dominate the museum’s galleries. The show, open until January 2025, challenges perceptions of classical and contemporary art, size and scale, and gender and ethnicity. Smith, renowned for her large-scale sculptures made from textiles, family heirlooms, and other materials, offers viewers a chance to explore intricate microcosms within her works. Growing up in Baltimore with a creative family, she attributes her artistic sensibility, sense of scale, and ability to create immersive worlds to her upbringing.
Parade features Smith’s signature “bales” in Gallery 18, along with smaller pieces that encapsulate entire universes within them. The artist’s works often incorporate graffiti and calligraphy, emphasizing her unique perspective on consumption, overproduction, and nomadic traditions. As Smith reflects on her 30th solo show, she emphasizes the multifaceted nature of her work beyond its early associations with street art. The exhibit at The Ringling delves into a deliberate conversation between European Old Masters, predominantly created or commissioned by white Europeans, and Smith, a Black woman from Baltimore.
The show explores connections and divergences in timeline and culture, prompting nuanced conversations about the paintings and Smith’s own works. The artist views the exhibit as an opportunity for dialogue, particularly considering John Ringling’s taste and engagement with enchantment. Smith hopes viewers will see themselves as a bridge between her art and the paintings, fostering connections and questioning differences. Parade is on display at The Ringling until January 2025, with Smith returning to Sarasota for the Ringling’s Wonder Symposium in June and a fall performance.
