Image from the station on the way to see Theaster Gates's exhibition at White Cube, Bermondsey Street. I had really liked his installation at dOCUMENTA (13) - see http://jogroglog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/documenta-13-day-three-part-one.html
Fire Truck outside the gallery - a reference to the Chicago race riots of 1968 - smudged with tar used in roof sealing - his father's occupation. There is an accompanying video inside of Theaster and possibly his father, applying the tar, while his band The Black Monks of Mississippi, play a song entitled My Labour is My Protest.
The two highlights for me were the 9000 book library of the history of black American culture, purchased by Theaster Gates from Johnson Publishing Company of Chicago, the publishers of Ebony, Jet and Tan - magazines aimed at the black American. He has another 4000 books in Chicago awaiting cataloging.
Alongside that, is a frightening 15 minute commercial from 1954, by Johnson's aimed at encouraging advertisers to sign up for Ebony magazine - titled The Secret of Selling the Negro Market, it makes very difficult viewing, but shows where even the most liberal Americans stood on race in the mid-fifties.
Another fire truck, this time hanging from the ceiling - also in this room is a massive display of stacked, old Ebony magazine collections.
Exciting canvases made of decommissioned fire hoses
Show is on until 11 November - I really recommend it.
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