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A Look at ‘Question Bridge: Black Males,’ the New Video Installation at Photo Center Northwest

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This article originally appeared in the January 2014 issue of Seattle magazine.

!–paging_filter–p“What do black men have in common?” “Who are you and what is your purpose?” “Do you really feel free?” In emQuestion Bridge: Black Males/em, the new video installation at Photo Center Northwest (PCNW), African-American men pose such questions, and African-American men answer, in straight-on, close-up, unadorned video recordings. Produced by actors Delroy Lindo and Jesse Williams and photographic historian Deborah Willis, and collected over four years from more than 150 black men in cities across America, the 1,500 exchanges add up to a fascinating documentary that blows apart the notion of a monolithic identity. To augment the installation with local perspectives, PCNW issued an open call for photo submissions, asking black men of all ages and backgrounds in the Northwest, “In one photograph, what would you say?” A selection of these photos will serve as a concurrent exhibition, emSeen: An Exploration of the Inside and the Out, the Then and the Now, By the (Still) Invisible Men/em. Together, the displays serve as a powerful reminder that the shorthand concept of “diversity” often masks the actual, limitless diversity that exists within the confines of demography. 1/16–3/8. Hours vary. Free. Photo Center Northwest, 900 12th Ave.; 206.720.7222; a href=”http://www.pcnw.org” target=”_blank”pcnw.org /a/p

 

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

SENSORIUM Takes on Our Screen Addiction

Dance, drag, and immersive art collide in an eight-week exploration of our phone-obsessed lives, with a few surprises along the way. 

What do drag queens, smartphone addiction, art installations, and an old luggage shop have in common?  According to longtime Seattle choreographer Alana O’Farrell Rogers, a lot.  “There’s no dead time anymore,” says Rogers, explaining how the proliferation of smartphones fills the empty spaces that once served as time for rest or connection. Where we snuggled…

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Salt-N-Pepa on Breaking Barriers and Staying Power

Ahead of their performance at Seattle’s Museum of Pop Culture gala, the hip-hop pioneers talk about creative ownership, connecting with new generations, and the songs that still resonate.

The Museum of Pop Culture (MOPOP) will host its annual ICONS of Pop Culture Gala in Seattle on October 22, honoring five artists and institutions whose work has helped shape entertainment and culture.  This year’s honorees are martial arts and film legend Bruce Lee, fashion designer Jeremy Scott, the video game franchise Halo, hip-hop pioneers…

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Studio Sessions: Christopher Paul Jordan

Drawing on childhood memories, neighborhood history, and salvaged materials, Christopher Paul Jordan’s latest show at Cornish’s Behnke Family Gallery explores how the past stays with us.

Start in the middle. It’s good advice for telling a story, and a way into Christopher Paul Jordan’s paintings. By the time you encounter them, their materials have already been something else, and who knows what they might move on to become. The Tacoma interdisciplinary artist works with salvaged objects, including screens, picture frames, canvas,…

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Rearview Mirror: Wedding Bells, A Furniture Launch, and the Symphony’s New Look 

Things I did, saw, ate, learned, or read in the past week (or so).

WEDDING BELLS I’ve been a bit absent from this column lately, but I think I have a pretty good excuse: I got married! It’s already been three weeks since my September 19 wedding, but I’m still reflecting on the magic of the day. My fiancé, well husband now (I can’t get used to saying it!),…