David Hammons: Concerto in Black and Blue (review)

Davi d Ha m m o n s: Concert o in Black and Blue Ace Gallery, NY lovember 14,2002 Upon ent ering Ace Gallery's gi gant i c war ehouse-l i ke space, one wondered what music David Hammons had i n mind when he orchest rat ed Concert o in Black and Blue. While t he t it le echoes j azz resonance, Hammons chose t he st rident sound of t he Japanese harp Kot o t o reveal his piece t o t he public on t he openi ng ni ght . (A Japanese w om an played t he i nst r ument on a pl at f orm set at t he f ar end of t he gallery, much t o t he dismay of t hose w ho expect ed t he bl ows of Jazz) . Concert o has si nce remained sil ent . Af t er t he noisy f uss of t he i naugur at i on, not hi ng but t he sound of t he vi si t or s' st eps, whi sper s, and occasi onal l aughs, w as t o be heard. Decept ive as t he t it le sounds it root s t he piece i n Hammons' usual play of words and makes it a st at ement i n it self . As Hammons left t he gallery empt y, and i n t he dark, he r econst i t ut ed t he paramet ers of an i sol at i on chamber wherein, one havi ng lost t he sense of si ght , t he ear w as enhanced t o make up f or t hat def iciency. Havi ng t rapped vi si t ors i n a black cube Hammons provided t hem wit h a l i ght eni ng device emi t t i ng a bl ue f l ash beam so t hat t heir l ost vi si on coul d part ially be recovered. As t he l ight s kept goi ng on and of f , t hey creat ed an ever mor phi ng sculpt ure of l ight t hat coul d ot herwise be seen as a f iref lies' bal let , dependi ng on whet her one want ed t o t ake a concept ual or sensor ial approach t o it . Rel ying upon t he phenom enol ogi cal experience of color, l ight , space, and sound Hammons Concert o in Black and Blue was like a di sconcer t i ng hi de- and- seek game where music sounded like a play of words, l i ght f ailed t o provide f ul l visibil it y, and color remained helpless i n gr oundi ng mat erial it y. Depl oyi ng a wide range of ef f ect s, Hammons used t he i nt r i cacies of l anguage t o exhaust t he m eani ngs of wor ds heavi l y charged wit h racial and cult ural connot at i ons. He al so used bot h l ight and color t o f oreground i ssues of vi si bi l i t y and i nvi si bi l i t y, mat erialit y and immat erialit y, specif ical l y as t hey come i nt o play i n debat es ar ound race and essence. Mu si c —A Play of Words Despit e i t s f ree-f l owing f orm and t he j azzy resonance of i t s t it le, Hammons Concert o in Black and Blue was f ar f rom an i mpr ovi sat i on. In hi s usual doubl e ent endr e f ashi on, Ham m ons encoded complex ref erences in his t it le t hat call f or an i nt er t ext ual reading of t he work. The t ext s here coul d be part it ions, f or Concert o...