Among Others: Blackness at MoMA

(Hardback)

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Among Others: Blackness at MoMA begins with an essay that provides a rigorous and in-depth analysis of MoMA's history regarding racial issues. It also calls for further developments, leaving space for other scholars to draw on particular moments of that history. It takes an integrated approach to the study of racial blackness and its representation: the book stresses inclusion and, as such, the plate section, rather than isolating black artists, features works by non-black artists dealing with race and race- related subjects. As a collection book, the volume provides scholars and curators with information about the Museum's holdings, at times disclosing works that have been little documented or exhibited. The numerous and high-quality illustrations will appeal to anyone interested in art made by black artists, or in modern art in general.

Reviews

The Museum of Modern Art is among the first to admit that its uneven relationship with Black artists, and Among Others is a reflection, and an investigation, confronting that truth through essays and some of the best artwork ever produced.-- "Insider"
A phone book-sized tome that serves as a frank examination of that institution's legacy in displaying, acquiring and otherwise engaging work by Black artists [...] On its own, "Among Others" won't fix MoMA's structural issues. But it's a beginning. Hopefully it inspires similar accounts at other museums.--Carolina Miranda "Los Angeles Times"
Among Others is a three-part publication that analyzes the museum's tumultuous historical relationship with Black artists and Black audiences, its role in shaping the cultural politics of race, and the shortcomings of its collection, programs, and practice [...] I recommend this publication for scholars interested in the genealogy and variants of primitivism, for academics teaching museum studies courses, and for creative professionals curious about collection research and critical historiographies. Above all, Among Others will be indispensable to culture workers of organizations of all sizes who are taking a hard look at their institutional history and seeking to make structural and sustainable change.--Martha Scott Burton "CAA (College Art Association)"
Published by the Museum of Modern Art, this 484-page book seeks to reexamine the history of its collection by highlighting the role of black artists, the black community, and art about blackness [...] The book is a part of the museum's overall efforts to present the trajectory of art history with a more global view and the long overdue acknowledgement of African American cultural contributions.--Lucy Rees "Galerie"
"Among Others: Blackness at MoMA" considers the institution's complex history with black artists, black audiences, and art about blackness.--Victoria L Valentine "Culture Type"
As museums across the world reevaluate their histories while acknowledging past instances of racism and sexism, Among Others, an anthology about the Museum of Modern Art's maligned ways of dealing with blackness over the decades, serves as a critical tome.--Alex Greenberger "ARTnews"
This book is exemplary for its combination of new research, interpretive analysis and quantities of information. Given free rein in the Museum of Modern Art's archives, the authors mined the untold story of the museum's fraught relationship with race in general and black artists and their work in particular.--Roberta Smith "New York Times"
This detailed, well-documented account of MoMA's history of collecting and exhibiting black art reveals historically problematic curatorial attitudes towards black art and artists.--Deirdre Spencer "ARLIS/NA Reviews"

Author Bio

Darby English is Adjunct Curator in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at The Museum of Modern Art, New York and Carl Darling Buck Professor at the University of Chicago, where he teaches modern and contemporary art and cultural studies. Charlotte Barat is Curatorial Assistant in the Department of Painting and Sculpture at the Museum of Modern Art, New York. Mabel O. Wilson is Professor in the Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation at Columbia University in New York.