Summer may be winding down, but parties in the Hamptons are still going strong. Saturday afternoon, Tate Americas brought the East End art scene to Rashid Johnson and Sheree Hovsepian's idyllic East Hampton home to celebrate the acquisition of Johnson's latest film, Black and Blue, through the North American Acquisitions Committee (NAAC).
The NAAC, established in 2001, plays a pivotal role in bringing works by North American artists into the Tate’s collection. Co-chaired by Abigail Baratta and George Wells, and led by Christine Y. Kim, the NAAC underscores Tate's work to increase representation of North American art across its four sites: the Tate Modern, Tate Britain, Tate Liverpool, and Tate St. Ives.
Black and Blue, written and directed by Johnson, offers an introspective glimpse into the artist's life in East Hampton, capturing mundane yet profound everyday moments amid the backdrop of the Covid pandemic and the Black Lives Matter protests. Through scenes of eating, sleeping, brushing his teeth, and spending time with his wife, fellow artist Sheree Hovsepian, and their son, Johnson highlights the complexities of Blackness while focusing on the universal yet disparate sense of isolation that permeated the pandemic. The film, shot in 2021 entirely around his home, contemplates the polarity of a life lived in both abundance and repetition.
Johnson’s home was the obvious choice for the celebration, which brought guests including artist Hank Willis Thomas, Hauser & Wirth President Marc Payot, and gallerist David Kordansky to toast Johnson, the film, and Tate Americas for the momentous occasion.
