THING magazine is featured in the new exhibition on display at the Art Galleries at Black Studies, part of the Black Studies Collective at the University of Texas at Austin.
Curated by Phillip A. Townsend, many works in the exhibition are by artists who identify as queer; some are by artists who lived in times when such identification was not available or possible; and some are by artists who are not queer but whose works resonate with queer histories.
By uniting these and other artists from across generations, Transcendence: A Century of Black Queer Ecstasy positions ecstasy and transcendence as central themes within the ongoing evolution of Black and queer artistic expression. Ultimately, this exhibition honors the resilience and beauty found within the Black queer community, testifying to the transformative nature of art.
The exhibition is organized around seven themes: Portraiture, Beyond Figuration, Dance and Movement, Spirituality, Sex and Sensuality, Black Queer Futures, and Altered States. Together these themes represent the foundations of queer, and especially Black queer, experiences and offer viewers a space to engage with artwork and ephemera that highlight an ecstatically abundant past and advocate for a more inclusive and equitable future.
On February 20 and 21, 2025 you can join the Symposium on Black Queer Ecstatic Art online. Register at www.galleriesatut.org/public-programs/symposium-transcendence.
On Thursday, February 20, 2025 at 3 p.m., hear keynotes by photographers Lola Flash and Texas Isaiah, whose work is featured in the exhibition Transcendence. Both artists will present on their practices and the role ecstasy plays in their work. A conversation moderated by Dr. Townsend will follow.
On Friday, February 21, 2025 at 3:15 p.m. seven prominent scholars in Black queer art present their in-progress essays included in the forthcoming Transcendence catalogue. As the Transcendence exhibition is organized around seven themes – Portraiture, Beyond Figuration, Dance and Movement, Spirituality, Sex and Sensuality, Black Queer Futures, and Altered States – each writer will present on a theme related to their scholarship. These scholarly talks will be organized into two categories: “Transcending Time & Place” in the morning, and “Transcending Form” in the afternoon.
Learn more at www.galleriesatut.org/gallery-showings/transcendence-a-century-of-black-queer-ecstasy
Transcendence is on display through May 9, 2025 at the Christian-Green Gallery, 201 East 21st St., Austin, TX 78712.
