In celebration of famed novelist, essayist, and orator James Baldwin—and in partnership with the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center’s Baldwin100 centennial initiative---Mason Exhibitions presents Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White. The signature fall exhibition examines Nothing Personal (1964), a collaborative book by James Baldwin and Richard Avedon which documents a pivotal moment in post-World War II U.S. history through a striking combination of photography and text. The book appeared shortly after President Kennedy’s assassination and just before the Vietnam War protests, Civil Rights activism, and the Space Race, presenting images of celebrity and the celebration of exceptionalism alongside depictions of the corrosive effects of capitalism and racism on society. The program also features collaborations with the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center such as a symposium exploring themes from Baldwin’s work in the context of contemporary artistry, psychology, gender, and sexuality. Nothing Personal is currently featured at the Gillespie Gallery in the Art and Design Building of George Mason’s Fairfax campus from now until November 15th.
Celebrating the 100th year since James Baldwin's birth and marking 60 years since the first publication of "Nothing Personal" (1964), this exhibition delves into the pivotal cultural object that challenges societal norms and advocates for systemic change. Through a curated display of Baldwin's incisive writing and Avedon's striking photographic portraits, visitors will be prompted to reflect on the issues of capitalism, racism, celebrity culture, and social justice that continue to resonate in today's world.
“Nothing Personal: A Collaboration in Black and White is a one-of-its-kind exhibition that Don Russell [George Mason University’s art curator and arts administrator] conceived and invited me to develop with him earlier this year, after Mason Exhibitions was invited to participate in the Baldwin100 by the Alan Cheuse International Writer's Center. Don's vision was to take the original 1964 edition of Nothing Personal apart and mount it on the walls of the gallery,” stated Yassmin Salem, the Public Arts Program Manager at George Mason. “I wasn't familiar with the photobook by Baldwin and Avedon from 1964, but I read the essay by Baldwin online and was immediately on board with the idea.
“Baldwin's essay resonates with me for many reasons,” continued Salem on the project. “The cadence of his writing is very unique. In the first half of the essay, Baldwin describes topics that are still relevant today in 2024, like the issue of police brutality, human psychology factors like implicit bias and the bystander effect, and the misdirected prejudice from poor white people toward BIPOC and immigrants, instead of capitalism, which is indiscriminately oppressive. The second half of Baldwin's essay reminds us of our duty to look within and heal, to make better decisions, to love ourselves and other people, instead of allowing ourselves to become cynical, complacent, or hateful to others.”
Leeya Metha, director of the Alan Cheuse International Writers Center and contributor to Nothing Personal, shared these sentiments about the exhibition. “When I first read Nothing Personal, I loved how Baldwin placed individual agency at the heart of the book. It spoke directly to me. And was a call to really understand that institutional racism and society corrupted all of us,” stated Metha, who’s clear passion for Baldwin’s work has been demonstrated throughout this year’s Baldwin100. “To see Don Russell and Yassmin Salem take the breadth of past history and place it in the context of today allowed me to visually see the old house of America we live in and how we are the custodians for our children. It felt special to see my students- society’s children - participate. We all experienced this extravagant visualization and saw the power of art and literature as part of a public conversation across generations and time. For me, this exhibition revitalized community and has come to represent the essence of the Baldwin100- a collaboration in black and white.”
Mason Exhibitions, a Mason Arts program at George Mason University, offers a multi-venue forum for contemporary visual artists who advance research, dialogue, and learning around global social issues. Through exhibitions and inclusive programming in seven galleries across George Mason’s three Northern Virginia campuses, Mason Exhibitions engages community members around current issues and new ideas through visual art.
The Baldwin100 is a community partnership with Busboys and Poets, the Osher Lifelong Learning Institute, the City of Fairfax, Fairfax County Public Library, Arlington Public Library, Maryland Humanities, and the Library of Congress Center for the Book. Within Mason, partners include Mason Exhibitions, University Libraries, the School of Theater, the School of Art, the Department of English, and the African and African American Studies Program.
Founded in memory of Mason professor and writer Alan Cheuse and part of Mason’s Watershed Lit, the Cheuse Center is a global community of writers, translators, and readers. Since its founding in 2016, the center has featured more than 180 international writers and has sent 23 Mason graduate students abroad to research their writing projects.
For updates on additional programming subscribe to the center’s newsletter at cheusecenter.gmu.edu/subscribe or visit the website.
October 21, 2024