{"id":301429,"date":"2025-06-19T04:15:13","date_gmt":"2025-06-19T04:15:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/peraltafinancing.com\/entertainment\/art\/for-glenn-ligon-language-is-material\/"},"modified":"2025-06-19T04:15:13","modified_gmt":"2025-06-19T04:15:13","slug":"for-glenn-ligon-language-is-material","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=301429","title":{"rendered":"For Glenn Ligon, Language Is Material"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>The Brant Foundation\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.brantfoundation.org\/tickets\/\"><em>Glenn Ligon<\/em><\/a> isn\u2019t a deep dive into the artist\u2019s career, but it is a concise overview that does something rare: it gives the art space to connect with the viewer. The show\u2019s eight works, all drawn from the Brant\u2019s collection, are spread across four stories, two of which are dedicated to one installation each. Almost like a \u201cgreatest hits,\u201d it includes stenciled text paintings, neon signs, and one video installation.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The staff suggests starting with the floor where text paintings are paired with one of Ligon\u2019s best-known pieces, \u201cR\u00fcckenfigur\u201d (2009). The title refers to a device in art, most often associated with <a href=\"https:\/\/hyperallergic.com\/988455\/caspar-david-friedrich-captured-the-belated-moment\/\">Caspar David Friedrich<\/a>, of depicting a figure from behind, as a means for viewers to project themselves into the work and contemplate the scene. One obvious interpretation of Ligon\u2019s piece \u2014 a white neon sign reading \u201cAmerica\u201d with the letters backwards \u2014 in relation to the title, is of a White America that\u2019s turned its back on everyone else. It\u2019s a strong, direct statement, but the artist\u2019s work lends itself to more than a single, straightforward reading. His use of language as a medium points up its failings as well as the viewer\u2019s stake in what\u2019s said and whether or not it\u2019s legible to us.<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-1    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68536916a30e8&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1640\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1-1200x1640.jpg?resize=1200%2C1640&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1021730\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=1200%2C1640&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=720%2C984&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=768%2C1050&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=1124%2C1536&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1124w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=1498%2C2048&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1498w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=749%2C1024&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 749w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=780%2C1066&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=400%2C547&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?resize=706%2C965&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1.jpg?w=1829&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1829w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon1-1200x1640.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glenn Ligon, \u201cDeferred (Malcolm\/Martin)\u201d\u00a0(1991), oil stick and acrylic on canvas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A text painting on an adjacent wall alternates the names \u201cMalcolm\u201d and \u201cMartin\u201d in black on a red ground (\u201cDeferred (Malcolm\/Martin),\u201d 1991). As the repetition transforms the names into sounds, they visually degenerate, becoming almost unreadable at the bottom of the canvas.<\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<p>Other works take the limits of language further, including \u201cStranger #64\u201d (2012), where illegible text from James Baldwin\u2019s essay \u201cStranger in the Village\u201d (1953) becomes a palpable object through layers of oil stick, acrylic, and coal dust. What\u2019s initially an aesthetically enticing dark gray surface emerges as an unsettling embodiment of Baldwin\u2019s story of the racism he encountered in a small, all-White town in Switzerland.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>The outlier in the show is \u201cLive\u201d (2014), a silent seven-channel video installation screening footage of comedian Richard Pryor\u2019s 1982 stand-up film <em>Live on the Sunset Strip<\/em>. Ligon has made text works based on Pryor\u2019s material in the past, so it\u2019s all the more disorienting to see him performing \u2014 here, fragmented, the different screens showing just his face, arm, torso, or crotch \u2014 without hearing him.\u00a0<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"906\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3-1200x906.jpg?resize=1200%2C906&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1021726\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=1200%2C906&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=720%2C544&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=768%2C580&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=1536%2C1160&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=2048%2C1547&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=200%2C150&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=1024%2C773&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=2000%2C1510&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=780%2C589&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=400%2C302&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3.jpg?resize=706%2C533&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon3-1200x906.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glenn Ligon, \u201cLive\u201d (2014), seven-channel video installation, 80 min.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>Even without the sound, anyone who\u2019s familiar with Pryor knows that racism is a recurring subject of his comedy, just as it\u2019s a through line in Ligon\u2019s art. By breaking his image into parts, the artist may be alluding to the fragmentation and fetishization of the body that many people of color endure. But again, it\u2019s not that clear-cut. We\u2019re watching someone whom most people will recognize. Like the text paintings that communicate visually rather than verbally, through their formal breakdown or manipulation, \u201cLive\u201d shows Pryor\u2019s act in minute detail, through expressions and body language that are often more resigned or pained than comedic.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>For me, \u201cLive\u201d was the most infuriating and meaningful work in the show, a frustrated attempt at communication that actively involves the viewer. If you\u2019re not interested in the comedian, you may watch for a few minutes and then walk away. But otherwise, how long can you stand to watch someone speak without hearing what they\u2019re saying?<\/p>\n<aside class=\"scaip scaip-2    \">\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68536916a3922&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"1600\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2-1200x1600.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1021731\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=1200%2C1600&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=720%2C960&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=768%2C1024&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=1152%2C1536&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1152w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=1536%2C2048&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=900%2C1200&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 900w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=600%2C800&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 600w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=450%2C600&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 450w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=300%2C400&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=150%2C200&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=780%2C1040&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=400%2C533&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?resize=706%2C941&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2.jpg?w=1875&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1875w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon2-1200x1600.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glenn Ligon, \u201cStranger #64\u201d\u00a0(2012), oil stick, acrylic, and coal dust on canvas<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68536916a3d1d&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"867\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5-1200x867.jpg?resize=1200%2C867&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1021732\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=1200%2C867&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=720%2C520&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=768%2C555&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=1536%2C1110&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=2048%2C1479&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 2048w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=1024%2C740&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1024w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=2000%2C1445&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 2000w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=780%2C563&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 780w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=400%2C289&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5.jpg?resize=706%2C510&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon5-1200x867.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glenn Ligon, \u201cUntitled (Bruise\/Blues)\u201d\u00a0(2014), neon and paint; two components<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure data-wp-context=\"{&quot;imageId&quot;:&quot;68536916a4118&quot;}\" data-wp-interactive=\"core\/image\" class=\"aligncenter size-large wp-lightbox-container\"><img loading=\"lazy\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1200\" height=\"900\" data-wp-class--hide=\"state.isContentHidden\" data-wp-class--show=\"state.isContentVisible\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-on-async--load=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" data-wp-on-async-window--resize=\"callbacks.setButtonStyles\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4-1200x900.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1021733\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=1200%2C900&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1200w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=720%2C540&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 720w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=768%2C576&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 768w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=1536%2C1152&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 1536w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=2048%2C1536&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 2048w, 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https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4.jpg?resize=706%2C530&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 706w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/hyperallergic-newspack.s3.amazonaws.com\/uploads\/2025\/06\/Ligon4-1200x900.jpg?w=370&amp;quality=90&amp;ssl=1 370w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1200px) 100vw, 1200px\"\/><button class=\"lightbox-trigger\" type=\"button\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-label=\"Enlarge\" data-wp-init=\"callbacks.initTriggerButton\" data-wp-on-async--click=\"actions.showLightbox\" data-wp-style--right=\"state.imageButtonRight\" data-wp-style--top=\"state.imageButtonTop\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t<svg xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"12\" height=\"12\" fill=\"none\" viewbox=\"0 0 12 12\">\n\t\t\t\t<path fill=\"#fff\" d=\"M2 0a2 2 0 0 0-2 2v2h1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 1 .5-.5h2V0H2Zm2 10.5H2a.5.5 0 0 1-.5-.5V8H0v2a2 2 0 0 0 2 2h2v-1.5ZM8 12v-1.5h2a.5.5 0 0 0 .5-.5V8H12v2a2 2 0 0 1-2 2H8Zm2-12a2 2 0 0 1 2 2v2h-1.5V2a.5.5 0 0 0-.5-.5H8V0h2Z\"\/>\n\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t<\/button><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Glenn Ligon, \u201cLive\u201d (2014), seven-channel video installation, 80 min.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.brantfoundation.org\/tickets\/\">Glenn Ligon<\/a> <em>continues at the Brant Foundation (421 East 6th Street, East Village, Manhattan) through July 19. The exhibition was organized by the foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n<aside>\n\t\t<\/aside>\n<section id=\"block-27\" class=\"below-content widget widget_block\">\n<\/section><\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Brant Foundation\u2019s Glenn Ligon isn\u2019t a deep dive into the artist\u2019s career, but it is a concise overview that does something rare: it gives the art space to connect with the viewer. The show\u2019s eight works, all drawn from the Brant\u2019s collection, are spread across four stories, two of which are dedicated to one [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":301430,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[100],"tags":[35212,133632,3856,133634,3349,23667,133633],"dealstore":[],"offerexpiration":[],"class_list":["post-301429","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-art","tag-glenn","tag-glenn-ligon","tag-language","tag-ligon","tag-material","tag-new-york","tag-the-brant-foundation"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.4 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>For Glenn Ligon, Language Is Material - Som2ny Network<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"An exhibition of Ligon\u2019s well-known works at the Brant Foundation shows how language fails us and confronts us with silence.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/fivemor.com\/?p=301429\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"For Glenn Ligon, Language Is Material - 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