Hank Willis Thomas: Everything We See Hides Another Thing

Hank Willis Thomas: Everything We See Hides Another Thing

Jack Shainman Gallery, 20th Street

        My experience with Hank Willis Thomas has always bordered on love and hate. His work is so suggestive, so provocative yet so accessible and not necessarily in a good way. Hanks' work is not defined by one medium and even though he is traditionally thought of as a photographer, his best work often is sculptural. This show is no exception, I find the photography which makes up the majority of the exhibition to be rather lackluster. It clearly deals with themes of civil disobedience, the lgbtq+ and other groups like many other contemporary artists are making work about. Thomas has always been an artist who makes work that is easily accessible for the general public to understand and derive the meaning from; however this show seems overly accessible and leaves little room for interpretation. The themes are clear and easy to spot and while to many casual observers might like this about the show, to the more practiced art observer it comes across as dull. 

This show isn't all negative though, there are some redeeming qualities, there are clear references to great artists of the past such as Andy Warhol and Robert Rauschenberg. In addition to these references, his show is incredibly innovative with its use of retro reflective material in order to create a different perspective when the artwork is photographed using flash.