Chief Curator Dr. Julie Sasse with Willie Bonner during the opening of 4×4: Willie J. Bonner, Nazafarin Lotfi, Alejandro Macias and Anh-Thuy Nguyen.
Chief Curator Dr. Julie Sasse met Willie J. Bonner more than 20 years ago when he was a graduate student at the University of Arizona. The two reconnected when Bonner’s work was selected for inclusion in a recent Arizona Biennial, and a visit to his studio produced the idea for the 4×4 exhibition (on view at TMA through September 26, 2021).
Bonner’s work creates an extended dialogue about the culture of African Americans both historically and in contemporary society. Much like the jazz he grew up listening to in Cleveland, Ohio, with its roots in African rhythms and dances, Bonner’s paintings are multi-layered and multidimensional. They are personal and vibrant expressions of what it means to be Black in postmodern America.
Willie J. Bonner, Double Jeopardy, 2017, mixed media on canvas. Courtesy of the artist.
Bonner’s paintings in the 4×4 exhibition were inspired by the events that unfolded in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina, 2008 “birther” conspiracy theories about President Barack Obama, and the current climate of hate and violence against Blacks throughout the United States. The artist reminds us that while African art depicted the Black body long before European artists appropriated it in the early twentieth century, African-Americans are still marginalized to the point of invisibility.
While holding up a mirror to a tumultuous world, Bonner’s explosive colors and energetic brushwork also express his resolute sense of joyousness and optimism for a more empathetic and accepting world.
Arizona Public Media’s Andrew Brown talked with Bonner and Chief Curator Dr. Julie Sasse about Bonner’s work in 4×4. Bonner and Sasse appear in a video story for Arizona Illustrated, and an extended radio version of their conversation aired during Arizona Spotlight on NPR 89.1 on June 3.
