Transforming the Crown: African, Asian, & Caribbean Artists in Britain, 1966-1996 (review)

TRANSFORMING THE CROWN: AFRICAN, ASIAN, & CARIBBEAN ARTISTS IN BRITAIN.1966-1996 Caribbean Cultural Center, The Bronx Museum of the Arts, The Studio Museum, New York " T r a n s f o r m i n g t h e C r o w n : A f r i c a n , A s i a n , a n d C a r i b b e a n A r t i s t s i n B r i t a i n , 1 9 6 6 - 1 9 9 6 " , a n e x h i b i t i o n o r g a n i z e d b y M o r a J . B e a u c h a m p - B y r d , a t t h e C a r i b b e a n C u l t u r a l C e n t e r , T h e S t u d i o M u s e u m i n H a r l e m , a n d T h e B r o n x M u s e u m o f A r t w a s a n a m b i t i o u s a t t e m p t t o s u r v e y t h e w o r k o f " B l a c k B r i t i s h " v i s u a l a r t i s t s s i n c e t h e 1 9 6 0 ' s , f o r a n A m e r i c a n a u d i e n c e . W i t h o v e r f i f t y a r t i s t s a n d o n e h u n d r e d f o r t y w o r k s o f a r t s p r e a d a c r o s s t h e t h r e e v e n u e s , " T r a n s f o r m i n g t h e C r o w n " t r i e d t o c o v e r a l l b a s e s a t o n c e b u t e n d e d u p l o o k i n g c u m b e r s o m e a n d u n w i e l d y . B u r i e d i n t h e c o n g e s t i o n o f s o m a n y a r t i s t s a n d t h e p o o r l y a r t i c u l a t e d t h e m a t i c s e c t i o n s , w e r e g l i m p s e s o f i m p o r t a n t a r t i s t i c p r o j e c t s t h a t A m e r i c a n a u d i e n c e s w o u l d n o n e t h e l e s s b e n e f i t f r o m b y p a y i n g c l o s e r a t t e n t i o n . On o n e l e v e l " T r a n s f o r m i n g t h e C r o w n " e n d e d u p d e m o n s t r a t i n g t h e e...