Glenn Ligon and Gary Simmons

Not a member? Join today

1

Description

In this oversized publication, artists Glenn Ligon and Gary Simmons take on the cultural power and iconography of boxing in a head-to-head match-up.

In Skin Tight, Ligon investigates into the form and symbolism of the punching bag and its connection to American societal ideas of Black men, boxing, and rap music. In Step in the Arena (The Essentialist Trap), Gary Simmons distills the spectacle of the sport and the choreographic movements of its competitors into a sculptural battleground.

Includes interviews with the artists by Thelma Golden.

Published by The Fabric Workshop and Museum, 2000

Acknowledgements by Marion Boulton Stroud
Preface and interviews with Glenn Ligon and Gary Simmons by Thelma Golden
Design: Matsumoto Inc., NY

ISBN: 09619760-7-1

Related Products

An image of a tall book laying flat on a surface. The cover is regular, white paper. Printed on the white paper is an image of a drawing illustrated in black ink. The drawing features three black columns. In the space between the columns is a gestural zig-zag pattern. There are also small, organic shapes towards the tops of the column with each column having its own unique set of shapes.

An image of a book spread laying flat on a white surface. The spread contains four illustrations on the left page and one full-page illustration on the right. The illustrations are gestural and created with black ink on white paper. The drawings are of geometric and organic illustrations.

Elisabeth Kley: Egypt Drawings

FWM Exclusive

A book spread with text and an image on the left and a full spread image on the right. The two images of both of an art installation consisting of large sheets of white fabric flowing from circular armatures suspended in a vast warehouse space.

MW Editions and The Fabric Workshop and Museum

Process and Practice: The Fabric Workshop and Museum

A paperback book cover. The title of the book is in a red sans-serif font reading "on the wall" and in the back ground in a handwritten script font reads "I will not make any more boring art." repeatedly all down the cover of the book.

FWM Exclusive

An open book showing a page with text and a photo of an ornate floral patterned wallpaper on the left, and the right shows text with two images of nature and ornate home decor that could have inspired the patterned wallpaper on the left.

On The Wall: Contemporary Wallpaper

A black short-sleeve t-shirt hangs over a mannequin's bust. The white graphic on the t-shirt reads "Thuglife" with a white border around it. A registered symbol appears above the word "Thuglife" and "U.S.A." below.

Glenn Ligon x FWM

THUGLIFE (t-shirt)

About The Exhibition

A photograph of a gallery installation featuring a set of seven punching bags suspended against two red walls with one additional punching bag slumped against the left wall. The bags vary in height and color (four are white, four are black). The central bag, which is the tallest, features a yellow graphic that reads "Thuglife" stamped over black fabric. The same graphic repeats as red wallpaper behind it.

Skin Tight

Skin Tight is Glenn Ligon’s first major sculptural work. Building on his Whitney Museum project, the exhibition is an investigation into the form and symbolism of the punching bag and its connection to American societal ideas of black men, boxing, and rap music. Though Ligon wanted this series of eight punching bags to look and feel like authentic bags, he also wanted to individualize each bag and create a strong statement formed by a series of distinct “voices.” Collectively, the punching bags of Skin Tight convey a physical presence, as if each bag represents a body, and specifically a black male body.

learn more