When
Dr. Kenneth Montague was growing up in the
Canadian border town of Windsor in the 1960s, he didn't exactly fit in. He was the son of Jamaican immigrants,
and he was more attracted to the scene just across the river -- Detroit, a vibrant
center of African-American culture. The city's political activism and powerful
music influenced Montague and encouraged him to think more deeply about his own
identity as a black Canadian.
As an adult, Montague continued that quest by
collecting art. Now a dentist based in Toronto, he created a gallery in 1997 in
a wedge-shaped space in his home. Later he established the nonprofit
organization Wedge Curatorial Projects. The project's goal is to investigate
black identity through exhibitions, publications and educational programs
around contemporary art.
"I grew up asking the question, 'Who am I?'
and I am drawn to artists who search for that same answer," Montague said.
"The portraits in 'Becoming' reflect memory,
nostalgia, history, achievement and promise. These things are all important to
me."
An
exhibition featuring more than 100 original photographic portraits by more than
60 global artists from Montague's private collection will open Aug. 11 at the
Nasher Museum of Art at Duke University. The exhibition, "Becoming:
Photographs from the Wedge Collection," is organized by Montague.
In some portraits, the subject has little or no
control over the way they are depicted, in others, the subject becomes
increasingly involved with the photographer, and in others, the subject is
affected by new post-modern ways of thinking about identity. (You can explore some of the
images in the museum's online
gallery here.)
"Becoming"
includes studio portraitists (Malick Sidibe, James VanDerZee), social
documentarians (Milton Rogovin, Jurgen Schadeberg), conceptual artists (Hank
Willis Thomas, Carrie Mae Weems) and young contemporary artists whose work is
largely unknown in this country (Zanele Muholi, Viviane Sassen). All of the
artists reject a common tendency to view black communities in terms of conflict
or stereotype.
"This
important exhibition reveals Ken Montague's incredible eye as a collector and
his vision as a curator," said Trevor
Schoonmaker, Patsy R. and Raymond D. Nasher Curator of Contemporary Art. "The
Wedge Collection is both daring and globally expansive while staying focused on
the exploration of black identity. It
stands out as a truly unique art collection."
The exhibition is complemented by a talk by Montague and Schoonmaker on Sept.
27, two film screenings, an "Art for All" event with the North
Carolina Central University Art Museum on Nov. 10, free Family Day events, K-12
teacher workshops and more.
"Becoming"
includes the work of several artists who will also be featured in a concurrent
exhibition of African-American portraits, "Let Your Motto Be Resistance,"
at the North Carolina Central University Art Museum, opening Nov. 6.
The
exhibition is supported by Paula and Eugene Flood, the Graduate Liberal Studies
program at Duke and Dr. Gail Belvett.