Name: Amy Eva Raehse
Occupation: Executive director of Goya Contemporary and independent curator
Neighborhood: Hampden
What I chose: Joyce J. Scott’s “Head Shot” at Goya Contemporary
Why: “Joyce J. Scott is widely acknowledged as one of the most innovative and influential artists to emanate from Baltimore. It is with little surprise that she manages to once again capture my full attention as both storyteller and object maker, enveloping her experience and memory into a complex body of work which doubles as a social mirror.
“The dazzling beauty of Scott’s art, for example: ‘Head Shot’ (pictured showing a beaded head above a glass hand-held gun filled with actual bullets) contrasts with the provocative subject matter it represents. The viewer, enticed by aesthetics, is confronted with complicated questions about humanity, morality, race, gender, sexuality, violence, injustice and politics.
“As much as I respect and admire Scott’s relentless integrity and catalytic power for change, I am equally in awe of her meticulous craftsmanship. It remains atypical when highly materialized art sublimates the ‘craft’ vs. ‘fine’ or ‘high’ art hierarchy, yet Scott’s work does so with ease.
“With fearless interpretation, sophistication and humor, this work stands as a wonderful endorsement for seeing artwork in person.
– Jessica Novak
