On the latest Open Studio With Jared Bowen, airing tonight at 8:30pm on GBH 2, Jared takes us through the new, permanent galleries of South Asian Art at the Peabody Essex Museum. The exhibit offers an explosion of color and expression from Indian artists, depicting themselves for themselves while also highlighting the bloody history of Partition that divided the country in 1947 and resulted in independence. At the center of this exhibition is a series of paintings by M.F. Husain inspired by the “Mahabharata”, an ancient Indian epic described as “the longest poem ever written.”
Also in this episode, Jared talks with photographer and Massachusetts College of Art and Design professor Amani Willett about his new book, A Parallel Road, which explores the Black American motoring experience through Willett’s photography juxtaposed with archival imagery and references to the “Negro Motorist Green Book.”
“This sense of fear… being on an empty roadway at night… whether you're Black, white or whoever, it's something that can be a little jarring,” says Willett. “That's what I wanted people to feel when looking at the work.”
Watch: Jared previews Amani Willett's new book, A Parallel Road.
Plus, another look at the deCordova Sculpture Park and Museum exhibition “Visionary New England” and Florida artist Debbie Baudin on creating hand-painted glass designs. Watch this episode on demand below, and subscribe to the GBH YouTube channel to set a reminder for future live shows.
