The Brooklyn Rail

Atlanta-based contemporary painter Frank Morrison (b. 1971) elevates Black voices. Through the end of the year and into 2024, the artist will amplify them further in two concurrent solo exhibitions, blurring the bounds of figuration and abstraction.

Richard Beavers Gallery presents Brilliance Behind the Line and Wonder World at its Soho and Brooklyn locations, respectively. The former explores how arbitrary lines define our maps and territories, dividing our cities through indifference and prejudice, putting the spotlight on “Red Line” communities. These places, predominantly Black and demarcated by the government to keep inhabitants subjugated, are rife with systemic injustice: financial oppression, poverty, and drug use. Yet the artist, who grew up in a New Jersey Red Line community made excluded and separate, learned these places of decay can in fact be inspirational. As a child, Morrison witnessed painters and street artists flourishing, and early Hip Hop participants finding their voices. And while the works explore these neighborhoods’ struggles, they also show the beauty therein, giving voice to Black identity and allowing a cultural revolution to take shape.

Morrison constructs environments in a state of seeming decline. Full of debris, these places of gloom are timeless—a reminder that not all people begin their lives from a place of privilege. The artist doesn’t negate this reality, but rather, through his subjects, he shows how young people still manage to persevere. Consider Envision Quest (2023), which depicts a teenage boy walking outside, his backpack overflowing with art supplies: paint brushes, a palette, the back of a canvas. Paint flecks decorate his dark skin, and the subject’s hoodie reads, SPEAK TRUTH TO POWER CANVAS. One hand is tucked leisurely in his pocket, while the other clasps the strap of his backpack; buildings in disrepair surround the teenager, covered in graffiti, and shrouded in a cloudy sky, yet the scene is hopeful. The subject, from a young age, makes good use of his surroundings—embarking on a creative path, and forging his identity. Red Lines are so often portrayed as soulless, yet there’s real emotion here. The boy has agency.

Password (2023) is founded in a similar narrative approach. Here, the artist shows six young subjects (plus the lone calves and sneakers of a seventh and eighth) congregating in front of a dilapidated building; the roofless structure is seemingly on the brink of collapse—only it isn’t. One child holds what appears to be a set of architectural plans, an oversized basketball hoop adorns the building’s exterior, and a sign that at first glance reads KEEP OUT emphatically states: KEEP IN! The scene is celebratory, the sky is a wild blue, and brightly hued flags point to a brighter future. Despite the hardships they may face, these children thrive, and they want the same for their peers. In the work, the artist reveals how certain aspects of our culture have escaped the Red Lines and made communities better, largely through young inhabitants’ perseverance. The Writer (2023), meanwhile, presents an indoor scene—a school classroom—covered in graffiti. A male subject, shown from behind, stands on a milk crate of sorts, holding an extended paint roller. The classroom chalkboard in front of him reads, SOS… SAVE OURSELVES SON in thick, white paint, implying that it’s the collective strength and resilience of the community that paves the path to overcome their challenges. This emphasizes a shared journey of transformation, where unity and collaboration become the key to unlocking a brighter future.

The artist paints portraits of hope, and Wonder World is no exception. On view from November 18, 2023 — January 31, 2024, Morrison’s Brooklyn show hones in on the innocence of childhood, shedding light on the creativity and optimism one might find even in underserved communities. Expounding the artist’s history as a children’s book illustrator, Morrison shares inspiring stories centered on children of color, encouraging Black youth to dream of a brighter future. Unlike in Brilliance Behind the Line, these works transcend our cities and move to more whimsical outdoor settings: a grassy hill, a starry night, or perhaps outer space. Pulling from comic books and Pop Art, with hints of the Neo-Mannerism for which Morrison is known, the artist crafts flat backgrounds within striking contour lines, only then adding dimension to his human subjects with oil paints. One Day (2023) shows an elementary-school-aged girl seated atop a makeshift rocket parked on a bed of purple grass, staring into the night sky before her. Her future is limitless, and this subject’s imagination knows no bounds. This young girl, like the women inventors and NASA pioneers before her, will not let systemic pressure dictate the trajectory of her life. Take Off (2023) offers a parallel take of a male subject, who flies down a hill on a roofless vehicle made from discarded parts, steering the car toward a future he’s long envisioned. In both exhibitions, Morrison dismantles the negative stereotypes of Black life, instead instilling hope in the families who have lost their sense of wonder. The artist has moved beyond his Red Line upbringing, but he’ll never forget it. These works are an homage to that.