Jamal Cyrus
X Codex, 2008
graphite powder on paper
80 x 60 in (203.2 x 152.4 cm)
83 x 64 1/2 x 2 in (210.8 x 163.8 x 5.1 cm) framed
83 x 64 1/2 x 2 in (210.8 x 163.8 x 5.1 cm) framed
JCY 72
Through oblique references to the black nationalist movements, Cyrus' 2008 graphite drawings explore the fraught relationship that ties together music, visual art, and political liberation. His graphite drawings such as...
Through oblique references to the black nationalist movements, Cyrus' 2008 graphite drawings explore the fraught relationship that ties together music, visual art, and political liberation. His graphite drawings such as X Codex are based on files the FBI created on Malcolm X, as part of the controversial domestic surveillance programs (COINTELPRO). Cyrus started with redacted FBI documents and enacted a further withdrawal by removing all text, leaving behind the marks the FBI used to conceal information before making the documents public.
Provenance
From the artist's studio; Private Collection
Exhibitions
The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now, Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, June 14 - November 22, 2015