Drips and Drabs

2009

Appearing to drip down the wall and pool into puddles on the gallery floor, Fred Wilson’s installation takes on a liquid appearance. The teardrop shapes produce a sorrowful effect yet also convey a seductive quality. Inspired by luxury Venetian glass, the artist views the jet-black material as both an allusion to ink, oil, and tar as well as a portal to reflect on Black identity. Wilson describes glassblowing as being “like the creation of a planet,” and within each fluid form, he imagines the multiple meanings and possibilities of Blackness.