Rico Gatson
Rico Gatson (American, born 1966), Panel Painting #6, 2015, acrylic paint, spray paint, and glitter on wood panel, 96 ½ x 11 ¼ x 1 in. Schwartz Art Collection, Harvard Business School, 2017.2.
Panel Painting #6 is one in a series of vertical totemic paintings inspired by African Plank Masks and textiles, and straddles the space between painting and sculpture. It was originally installed alongside other panels, leaning against a wall. See an installation view of his Panel Paintings #2-#8, 2015 here: http://ricogatson.com/painting/ As Gatson describes: “The form is inspired by the paintings of John McCracken and the totemic sculptures of Louise Bourgeois. The background is made up of quarter inch horizontal lines in red, yellow, green, black, orange, and silver. The colors of the painting evoke a Pan African sensibility with black shapes floating on the surface suggesting scars or burn marks.”