ABOUT THE EXHIBITION
A preeminent figure in conceptual art, Charles Gaines is widely known for converting images and text-based documents into numerical structures, musical notations, and other sign systems through rigorous translation mechanisms. In 1992, Gaines’s practice underwent a pivotal shift when he began to replace non-descript images with critical theory frameworks, ranging from the writings of Franz Kafka and Frantz Fanon to the manifestos of the Black Panthers and the American Indian Movement. By doing so, Gaines has channeled decolonial discourses into complex formal and conceptual works, in addition to combining different media such as video and sound.
Organized by the ICA Miami, Charles Gaines: 1992-2023 features a selection of works from series that Gaines has worked on since 1992 to demonstrate the evolution of his approach to transforming images, texts, and diverse materials into a distinct visual language. The exhibition is presented in conjunction with the debut of the complete series of Gaines’ most recent body of work, Numbers and Trees: Arizona Trees 1, 2023, presented in the Museum’s Cummings Great Hall.
Charles Gaines, Faces 1: Identity Politics, #7, Dolores Huerta, 2018. Acrylic sheet, acrylic paint, lacquer, wood. Unique. 188.3 x 150.5 x 14.6 cm / 74 1/8 x 59 1/4 x 5 3/4 inches. © Charles Gaines. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Thomas Barratt.
Charles Gaines, Manifestos 5, 2023. Three-channel video (color, sound, 5 minutes 24 seconds). One graphite drawing on paper, three monitors, two speakers, two hanging speaker shelves. Unique. Installation dimensions variable. © Charles Gaines. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Zachary Balber.
Header: Charles Gaines, Submerged Text: Signifiers of Race #11, 1993-2023. UV print on acrylic, paper, acrylic paint on wall. Installation dimensions variable. © Charles Gaines. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photo: Zachary Balber
Content note: This exhibition contains mature language and content.
Sensory note: This exhibition periodically includes loud and unexpected noises.
EXHIBITION SPONSORS
Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 is organized by the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami, and curated by Gean Moreno, Director of ICA Miami’s Knight Foundation Art + Research Center. Its presentation at Phoenix Art Museum is coordinated by Olga Viso, Selig Family Chief Curator and Director of Curatorial Affairs, and made possible through the generosity of Men’s Arts Council, Carl and Marilynn Thoma, the National Endowment of the Arts, Hauser & Wirth, Ellen and Howard C. Katz and Ten Figures. In-kind support provided by Kimpton Hotel Palomar Phoenix.
Thank you to community members who contributed to exhibition interpretation and content: Bryan Beckon, artist and PhxArt gallery attendant; Raquel Gomez, founder of Atabey Outdoors; Ashley LaRae Sampson, image and brand consultant, business and spiritual advisor, and art advocate; Rashaad Thomas, poet, freelance journalist, scholar, activist, and genre-fluid artist; and Rashad Shabazz, Associate Professor of Geography and African American Studies, Arizona State University.
All exhibitions at Phoenix Art Museum are underwritten by the Phoenix Art Museum Exhibition Excellence Fund, founded by The Opatrny Family Foundation with additional major support provided by Joan Cremin.
The presentation of Charles Gaines: 1992–2023 at the Institute of Contemporary Art, Miami was made possible through major support provided by Hauser & Wirth, the Nicoll Family Fund, and The Steven and Kathy Guttman Family Foundation. Additional support was provided by Funding Arts Network and by the State of Florida through the Division of Arts and Culture and the National Endowment for the Arts. Thanks to ICA Miami’s Leadership Partner Cartier for their support of this exhibition.
Content note: This exhibition contains mature language and content.
Sensory note: This exhibition periodically includes loud and unexpected noises.
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Phoenix Art Museum debuts Charles Gaines’s newest series featuring Arizona cottonwood trees
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