Revolutionary Times draws from three bodies of work by detroit-native Mario Moore; presenting paintings, silverpoint drawings, and works on paper that focus on American history and current connections to the past. The exhibition begins with his 2021 series A New Republic, looking at the role of how Black Union Soldiers saved the nation during the Civil War. By placing contemporary figures in historical contexts, Moore outlines the similarities between the past and our country's current racial and political divisions. Through depictions of anti-slavery abolitionists, his 2022 series Midnight and Canaan explores the relationship between Detroit and Windsor, Canada, and their intertwined history related to the Underground Railroad and the prospect of freedom. His newest series, produced in 2023, looks at the relationship between the Detroit fur trade and the use of Black enslaved bodies for the export and transport of products. In each work Moore is re-inserting Black struggles and triumphs into the canon of art history. The series are tied together by the hard work, labor, liberation and ingenuity of Black citizens that have revolutionized those time periods in comparison to contemporary problems the United States faces as a nation.

Funded by a grant from The McCombs Family Flint Fund of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint.

Locations:

Hodge Gallery at Flint Institute Of Arts.

Temporary Exhibition Gallery at Flint Institute Of Arts.