On display: “Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe” at Salon 94 in New York

On View presents images of remarkable exhibitions

THE ENABLING ELEMENTS of the super natural and extra-human thread of possibility Robert pruittthe figurative portraits of. For his latest exhibition, the New York artist born in Houston, Texas, presents 11 drawings “on a heroic scale”. “Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe” is inspired by “Stranger in the Village” by James Baldwin. The title of the exhibition refers to a line from the 1953 essay: “… the primary function of language is to control the universe by describing it.” Baldwin writes about the experience of being black in an all-white Swiss village and also reflects on the state of the race in America. Drawing on themes of racial isolation and human relationships, as well as spirituality and fantasy, Pruitt’s hybrid characters reimagine black American identity, channeling mortals, machines, gods and monsters. CT

“Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe”, is presented at Salon 94, East 89th Street, New York, NY, from September 13th to October 31st. 30, 2021

LEARN MORE about the exhibition

ROBERT PRUITT, Detail of “Heaven and Earth”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, “Heaven and Earth”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, “Cérémonie de vénération”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash on paper, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, Detail from “Deuces”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash on paper, 126 1/4 x 174 1/2 x 2 inches / 320.7 x 443.2 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica

ROBERT PRUITT, Installation view of “Deuces”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash on paper, 126 1/4 x 174 1/2 x 2 inches / 320.7 x 443.2 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica

ROBERT PRUITT, Detail from “Deuces”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal, pastel and coffee wash on paper, 126 1/4 x 174 1/2 x 2 inches / 320.7 x 443.2 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica

ROBERT PRUITT, “Observing the Birth Anniversary of the Big and Beauteous Bang, 2021 (Conté, charcoal pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5, 1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

Robert Pruitt’s subject “is adorned with a resplendent costume of banknotes of different denominations. The woman symbolizes the oonkas boonkas, a Cajun tradition of pinning money on the birthday child. Scattered throughout the costume are currency units including a $ 20 bill with Harriet Tubman, an 1880 bill with the signature of Blanche Kelso Bruce, the first Black Registrar of the Treasury, and food stamps.

ROBERT PRUITT, Detail from “Observing the Birth Anniversary of the Big and Beauteous Bang, 2021 (Conté, charcoal pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, Detail from “Self-portrait in Adam”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm ). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, “Self Portrait as Adam”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal pastel and coffee wash, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

ROBERT PRUITT, “Y’all Are Just Gon Have to Make Amends”, 2021 (Conté, charcoal and pastel over coffee wash on paper, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica

ROBERT PRUITT, “That’s the God in Me, Pardon You”, 2021 (charcoal powder, 87 1/4 x 63 1/8 x 2 inches / 221.6 x 160.3 x 5.1 cm). | © Robert Pruitt, Courtesy the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica

Installation view of “Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe”, Salon 94, East 89th Street, New York, NY (Sept. 14-Oct. 30, 2021). | Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

TOP IMAGE: Installation view of “Robert Pruitt: To Control the Universe”, Salon 94, East 89th Street, New York, NY (Sep 14-Oct 30, 2021). | Courtesy of the artist and Salon 94, New York. Photo by Farzad Owrang

SEE MORE in a video by Robert Pruitt, in his studio discussing his practice, on the occasion of “Ad Infinitum”, his first solo exhibition with Salon 94.

READ MORE Teju Cole writes about James Baldwin’s “Stranger in the Village” essay for The New Yorker in 2014

BOOKSHELF
James Baldwin’s 1953 essay “Stranger in the Village” first appeared in Harpers Magazine and was subsequently featured in “Notes of a Native Son”, his collection of essays originally published in 1955.