"Chris Friday: Where We Never Grow Old" at Sarasota Art Museum

I've been a docent at Sarasota Art Museum for a while now, and Chris Friday's "Where We Never Grow Old" has been of my favorite exhibits to share with visitors. The works in the show -- her first solo museum exhibit -- are extremely personal. There are paintings of her mother and her daughters. There are sculptures of foods that she associates with her childhood. There is "bling" that recalls the heavy gold jewelry she wore when she was younger. But her art is more than just an homage to her family and her younger self. Each work has layers of meaning, so it can be appreciated on multiple levels. To me, that's the best kind of art. The icing on the cake (or should I say yolk in the deviled egg?) is that Friday created every work in the show for this exhibit. 

One of two parts of "Future Venus" 

When you enter the gallery, the life-sized paintings grab the viewer's attention. I always invite visitors to get up close to one of the works to see if they can figure out the medium. It's clearly not paint, but what are the other options? Pencil? Nope. Pastel? That's not it either. Hmm. Then comes the reveal: It's chalk that Friday bought at Target. Cue the surprise. It's mind-boggling to think that the same piece of chalk a kid might use to draw a hopscotch board on a sidewalk could be used to create something so detailed and beautiful. The chiarascuro (light/dark) effect that Friday achieves by using black paper as her canvas is truly remarkable. Caravaggio himself would be proud. 

Visitors often ask what Friday uses as a fixative to ensure that the chalk doesn't smudge. Once again, the answer is surprising. Nothing. What??? Yep. If you were to brush up against a work, you'd come away with some chalk on you. Yikes! This might lead you to wonder what happens when the exhibit closes and the work has to be moved. Friday will place each painting between two sheets of glassine paper, roll it up, and turn it over to the art handlers. If the work gets dinged up in transit, the damage serves as a simile for the way Black bodies are often harmed. Yes, even the way her art is transported has meaning.

One of three parts of "Mother/Midas As Liminal Space"

An image of Friday's mother surrounded by deviled eggs and bologna and other types of food can be found on another wall. The food items are made of ceramic, a medium that Friday noted is simultaneously durable and fragile. Again, the works serve as an analogy for the body. Then there's the installation's backstory. 

Friday recalled coming home from school with friends and her mother asking, "Did you eat?" Of course, kids are always hungry, so her mom would open the refrigerator and peer in to see what was there. To Friday, it didn't look like much. Somehow, though, her mother would put together a veritable feast. One day there would be hot dogs and potato salad; another some fried bologna and deviled eggs. (Note: The name for the ceramic eggs collectively is "The only thing deviled here are the eggs." I love it.) To see a video in which Friday pays homage to her mother's ability to put together a meal for Friday and her friends, click here. Creating the sculpture comprised of 1,000 grains of ceramic rice was a true labor of love. 

Sadly, the last day to see "Chris Friday: Where We Never Grow Old" is Sunday, August 9th. So time is short, whether seeing this exhibit has been on your "to do" list or you've been meaning to make a return visit. Do not miss this show! While you're there, make sure to check out "Personal to Political: Celebrating the African American Artists of Paulson Fontaine Press." This exhibit features prints made by artists known for their work in other mediums and is also closing on August 9th. Click here for more information. Happy viewing!