Titus Kaphar On His Transition to Filmmaking and the Potency of Erasure
Last week, the artist Titus Kaphar opened “Exhibiting Forgiveness” at Gagosian Beverly Hills, a painting show that pairs with his film of the same name, which premieres next month and was called a “confident debut” for the painter-turned-filmmaker, by Vanity Fair‘s Richard Lawson at Sundance. Kaphar is the winner of a MacArthur ‘Genius Grant’ whose work has graced the cover of TIME magazine. We caught up with him to hear about his new show and the transition to filmmaking.
The works in this show seem nostalgic in both their techniques and subjects. What do you see as the unifying principles in this new body of paintings?
Every piece in this show is rooted in memory—I started by writing down experiences from my past. I wanted to find a way to have a conversation with my sons about my childhood, which up until that point I had been hesitant to speak about. When I sat down to write, old memories brought new images to mind. This produced an entire body of paintings that were completed before we started shooting the film.
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You’ve been working with both mediums for some time now. What’s the difference in your creative approach to painting and film?
The process of making a painting is fundamentally different from the process of making a film. Making a painting can be a meditative solitary act, while there’s almost no way to make a film on your own. In the best cases, all of the individuals involved pour themselves into making the film, imbuing it with energy that is greater than the sum of its parts. In my mind, that is the greatest magic that film offers. That said, the editing process felt most similar to my painting practice. As a first-time director, my editor, Ron Patane made the process manageable. It was Ron who helped me see the parallels between the erasure and cut canvases in my paintings. The way we were removing something from a scene in order to come to a more potent statement.
It’s always fascinating to watch a painter turn to film direction. Do you have a favorite film by a painter? Mine would be The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
Basquiat was my favorite movie as an undergrad. Up until then, I had not seen a Black painter portrayed in a film. It had more of an impact on me than you might imagine. Around that time, I decided that I wanted to be a painter. For inspiration, I brought an old television and VCR into my “studio,” a.k.a. the garage, and started playing Basquiat every day. Somehow, it assured me that my dream was lofty but attainable.
You gave a well-known TED talk in 2017 on the question, “Can art amend history?” Have your thoughts on that question evolved in recent years?
No, my feelings have not changed. Having just returned from my family reunion in Mississippi, I am certain that we still need artists to amend the monuments that stand as emblems of injustice in our town squares nationwide.
You were recently honored at the Brooklyn Museum’s Artists Ball. What was that experience like?
Those kinds of things are always very hard for me. I am keenly aware of how much I owe my success to my family and to my team. It’s easy to give credit to the person standing on the stage, but the truth is there’s nothing exceptional I’ve ever achieved without my family and a team around me. NXTHVN, the not-for-profit arts and community incubator I started, would still just be a dream without our staff, and Exhibiting Forgiveness would still just be words on a page without my producers, cast and crew. So as grateful as I am for the honor, it is a truism that great dreams require extraordinary teams. I would have been much more comfortable if I could have had my people on stage with me.
This is your first show at Gagosian’s Beverly Hills space, which brings a unique crowd. Are you ready for them?
The better question is: Is Beverly Hills ready for us?! You know folks travel… in packs!
“Titus Kaphar: Exhibiting Forgiveness” is at Gagosian Beverly Hills through November 2.