Hank Willis Thomas
*Freedom Riders (Color Variation)*, 2022
UV printed retroreflective vinyl, transparency vinyl mounted on Dibond
71 1/8 x 61 1/8 x 2 (framed)
© Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Written by Margarita Matta
Copyedited by Chloë Rain
Photo Edited by Yanting Chen

There is a beauty in the hidden, in the unknown, in the secrets we must pry open and squint our eyes to see. Many are drawn to art for this same mystique, this knowledge that there is more to each work than meets the eye. At Jack Shainman Gallery, Hank Willis Thomas’ new exhibition Everything We See Hides Another Thing seeks to represent this artistic mystique we so often find ourselves looking for, focusing on the political restlessness of America and how we appear in the context of it.

Thomas’ exhibition works with retroreflective displays to mass-produce images in a vibrantly colored, pop-art-esque manner that brings to mind Warhol’s work with motifs. Retroreflective presents a dual-layered work of art, as the image changes once you interact with it. When you first walk up to one of Thomas’ works, it appears as a vibrant, highly saturated collection of colored squares or rectangles. However, once you take a flash photograph of the work, it transforms into an entirely different photographic image. As the gallery notes, Thomas’ background as a photographer shines through in this exhibition, with careful detail in framing and perspective giving the works a uniform, harmonious composition despite the vastly different compositions shown before and after using flash. This talent, combined with Thomas’ devotion to sharing images fighting for equality, community, and perseverance (especially given America’s current political climate) creates an enticing exhibition with a powerful message.

Hank Willis Thomas
*Mirror #2*, 2021
UV print on retroreflective vinyl, mounted on Dibond
97 1/4 x 109 1/4 x 2 inches (framed)
© Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.

Although there are a handful of sculptures included in the exhibition, there is also a focus on his retroreflective photographic work. Echo Chamber immediately catches your attention, appearing as TV color bars from afar. After taking a flash photo, an image of the January 6th Riots appears. The title speaks to the rising issue of political echo chambers, where one only partakes in environments that reinforce their own political views. These ideas are exacerbated in media, which the TV color bars hint at. Echo Chamber reminds us of the danger to the American government when we get stuck in these isolated groups of political ideologies, causing things to escalate, as we saw with the January 6th Riots.

March on Selma attends to a slightly different message. The image first appears as a rainbow of rectangles, but once altered with flash, it presents a photograph of two hands shaking at the March on Selma. Perhaps playing off of the warning seen with Echo Chamber, March on Selma speaks to the ability America has to make change if we stand as one community, reaching across political boundaries and socio-economic classes in order to achieve peace. These themes of justice appear time and time again in Thomas’ work, speaking to the political uncertainty that plagues America so relentlessly. We must see these images as a message, a truth, a display of what we need to be doing as a community, as a body of people.

Installation view, Hank Willis Thomas,Everything We See Hides Another Thing, 2022 Jack Shainman Gallery, 524 W 24th Street, New York
© Hank Willis Thomas. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York.Photo: Dan Bradica

Everything we see does indeed hide another thing, and perhaps instead of focusing on the mystique of a body of art we should instead respond to its call to action. Everything We See Hides Another Thing will be on display until October 29th at Jack Shainman Gallery, across both Chelsea spaces located at 513 W 20th & 524 W 24th, New York City.