The Contemporary Arts Museumยs Zilkha Gallery has more album covers than a fanboyยs bedroom in ยPerspectives 157: Xaviera Simmons.ย The walls are plastered with art from albums by some of the best musicians in music history, notable because they are all African-American. The installation, Digital Good Time (How To Break Your Own Heart), features artists like Miles Davis, Coltrane and Hendrix tucked in among a wealth of other black performers like Nas, Notorious B.I.G. and, of course, Aretha. The show is an undeniable gauge of the importance of black music to a shared culture.
July 20-Sept. 30, 2007
This article appears in Jul 26 – Aug 1, 2007.