Cullen Washington, Jr.: The Public Square

AN ABSTRACT MEDITATION ON THE GRID AND HUMANITY

This expansive look at the work and concerns of emerging contemporary artist Cullen Washington, Jr. pivots around the artist’s most recent series, Agoras — a set of vivid, large scale abstract paintings and small collage works.

The compositions explore the ancient Greek public space as a site for activated assembly and the heart of the artistic, spiritual, and political life of the city.

UMMA’s installation is designed with a simulated public square at its center, complete with sound components featuring noted political and aesthetic discourse and surrounded by Washington’s soaring monumental collages. Works from four earlier series by the artist form the perimeter of the Museum’s largest special exhibition space.

Though in-person visits to the exhibition were cut short when the museum closed during the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, online visitors are invited to explore Washington’s works in this digital extension of the exhibition.