Stephen Towns, Birth of a Nation, 2014. Natural and synthetic fabric, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, coffee and tea stain, acrylic paint. 90 x 66 inches. Private collection.
RUMINATION AND A RECKONING
October 12, 2019 – January 25, 2020
In Collaboration With The Baltimore Museum of Art
Opening: October 12, 2019, 2:00 PM – 5:00 PM
3401 W. 43rd Place, Los Angeles, 90008
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At center of this exhibition, the monumental installation Birth of a Nation (2014) represents a Black woman nursing a white infant against the backdrop of the first official flag of the United States. Suspended above a mound of earth, the quilt will be surrounded by Towns’s Story Quilts (2016–2019), a cycle of works in luminous fabrics and glass beads that chronicle the life of Nat Turner and the 1831 rebellion he led against slavery. A pair of quilted oval portraits of Nat and Cherry Turner (2018) adds a significant dimension to this narrative, considering the role of a marriage in historic events.
This exhibition is presented by Art + Practice in collaboration with The Baltimore Museum of Art (BMA) and is curated by Cecilia Wichmann, Associate Curator of Contemporary Art at The BMA.
Stephen Towns, The Prophet, 2016. #2 from the series Story Quilts. Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, resin buttons. 37 x 28 1/2 inches. Private Collection.
Stephen Towns, Special Child, 2016. #1 from the series Story Quilts. Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, Thermoweb, cotton/polyester blend batting, crystal glass beads, resin and metal buttons. 36 1/2 x 28 1/4 inches. Courtesy of the Baltimore Museum of Art, Alice and Franklin Cooley Fund (BMA 2017.144).
Stephen Towns, One Night at Cabin Pond, 2016. #4 from the series Story Quilts. Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, Thermoweb, cotton/polyester blend batting, crystal glass beads, resin and metal buttons. 35 x 28 1/2 inches. Gift of Clair Zamoiski Segal in Honor of Christopher Bedford (BMA 2018.149).
Stephen Towns, Let Not Man Put Asunder: Portrait of Nat Turner, 2018. Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, resin buttons. 30 x 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Stephen Towns, Let Not Man Put Asunder: Portrait of Cherry Turner, 2018. Natural and synthetic fabric, nylon tulle, polyester and cotton thread, metallic thread, crystal glass beads, resin buttons. 30 x 24 inches. Courtesy of the artist.
Educational Resources
Schedule a guided tour
A+P’s education program welcomes teachers, students and art enthusiasts to explore and engage with A+P’s museum-curated exhibitions. Interested in bringing your group to A+P? Free guided tours are available to schedule Tuesday–Friday, 11:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m.
Grades K-12 Teacher and Student Handouts
A+P invites local schools, students, teachers, and organizations to experience, analyze, and engage with its exhibitions on view via teacher resource guides and student handouts (for grades K-12). These handouts incorporate the California State Contents Standards (VAPA and ELA) are available for teachers to adapt to their existing curriculums.
Installation View
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.
Installation view of Stephen Towns: Rumination and a Reckoning at Art + Practice. 12 October 2019 - 25 January 2020. Photo by Joshua White.