Kevin Beasley: A view of a landscape: A cotton gin motor
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, NY
December 15, 2018 – March 10, 2019
Production | Exhibition Grant
Kevin Beasley (b. 1985, Lynchburg, VA) engaged with the legacy of the American South in an installation centered on a cotton gin motor from Maplesville, Alabama. In operation from 1940 to 1973, the motor powered the gins that separated cotton seeds from fiber. Here, the New York-based artist used it to generate sound as if it were a musical instrument, creating space for visual and aural contemplation. Through the use of customized microphones, soundproofing, and audio hardware, the installation divorced the physical motor from the noises it produced, enabling visitors to experience sight and sound as distinct. As an immersive experience, the work served as a meditation on history, land, race, and labor. A view of a landscape: A cotton gin motor was presented at the Whitney Museum of American Art through March 2019. The installation marked Beasley’s first solo exhibition at a New York museum, and his most ambitious work to date.