A rarefied object of exceptionally unique character, Portrait of the Artist Without Traditional Support is representative of the kind of formal rigor and social engagement that is archetypal of Kerry James Marshall's groundbreaking practice. Seamlessly combining sculpture, installation and painting into an utterly conceptual aesthetic, the present work embodies the artist's thoughtful interrogation of both subject and medium in a radical rendering of his self-portrait. Through his re-examination of portraiture and reclamation of his own agency as an artist, Marshall simultaneously acknowledges and rejects the traditional canon of art history. Here, evoking religious Renaissance imagery of Jesus on the cross with the elongated installation of the slack canvas, Marshall elevates this painting through its distinct materiality. Synonymous with both superlative quality and intellectual tenacity, we are certain that Portrait of the Artist Without Traditional Support is wholly enchanting as an object for discovery.
