PLEASANT presents
‘CHASES ME 1968’

Installation artwork,
The Brecht Forum
August 1st to September 1st 2008
Opening Friday August 1st, 7pm


4 years in development Chases me is a multilayered merging of conceptual sculpture, film and expressionist painting that walks a fine line between the in-depth and the light hearted. Offering slight commentary for a series of social issues affecting the American deep south. Pleasant creates an unpredictable underground = contemporary art that challenges his observers to challenge themselves.

Artist Pleasant originates from the deep south and is an honorary alumnus of School of Visual Arts. A former member of the downtown Gatien era club kid scene of the mid 1990’s, Pleasant’s element of shock is well documented in the form of his ‘Unknown’ masked persona that is implicit in his art. Pleasant has exhibited internationally with the likes of various artists of respected disciplines.

Pleasant is represented in Sweden and the Netherlands.

A feature at the exhibition will be percussionist/composer David Pleasant's LANGUAGE of the SOUL!: A Gullah-Geechee inspired ensemble that illuminates the percussive, vocal, and movement dimensions of Africa in American culture. David Pleasant has composed a series of rhythm centered works that highlight the peculiar percussive legacies of Savannah Georgia and the low country of the southeastern United States. Language of the Soul! compositions will be soulfully adapted by special guests Gary Swindell and Nick Russo . 

Dear Friends,

Please join me this Thursday, Dec 27th at 1pm for a gallery walk through and artists' conversation around the provocative and engaging exhibit 'Excavating Motherhood ' .- the visual arts & multimedia exhibition that unearths images of motherhood from the perspectives of women of color.
featured artists include:
Marcia Jones (Artist)
Desiree Mwalimu (Artist/Curator)
Ola Akinmowo (Artist/Curator)

This is the perfect opportunity to engage in a critical and informative discussion around the shows concept and intent as well as examine how each piece speaks to the theme of the show.. Here we can examine the concept of mothering as well as get critical feedback from you the viewer.

The exhibit closes on the same day (!) so this is the perfect opportunity to experience the show fully before its gone.

Its all happening this Thursday, December 27 at

The Brooklyn Artists GYM (BAG)
168 7th Street, (near 3rd Ave)
3rd Floor .

Take the F train to the 4th Ave, or R train to 9th Street.

Hope to see you there!

I received a note from good friend Wardell Franklin yesterday alerting me to legendary filmmaker, archivist and professor St. Clair Bourne's passing this weekend.  Those of us fortunate enough to have been touched by his work know intimately the path that he blazed for us trying to do thoughtful creative work.  My prayers go out to his family and friends. 

 You can read more on Mr. Bourne's life and work here at Chamba Media. 

There are two notable postings announcing his passing. First on IndieWire, and secondly via the blog All These Wonderful Things

I look forward to seeing Satch Hoyt's "Say it Loud" exhibit up close when I return back to Brooklyn.  I'm curious, to say the least, to explore how people interact with the piece.  Has anyone been able to view it? 

In the work Say It Loud!, artist Satch Hoyt piles five hundred books on the subject of the black Diaspora to create a literal platform for free speech and discussion. Omitting the word “black” from the chorus of the late James Brown’s "Say It Loud! I’m Black and I’m Proud!," Hoyt invites viewers to climb the installation to a microphone and substitute a word of their choice. These recordings took place at the Museum during Target First Saturdays on October 6, and November 3, 2007.

Satch Hoyt (b. United Kingdom 1957; works in United States). Say It Loud!, 2004. Five hundred books, white metal staircase, and microphone with four speakers, wall text; dimensions variable. Courtesy of the artist

August 31, 2007–January 27, 2008
Morris A. and Meyer Schapiro Wing, 4th and 5th Floors

Infinite Island presents some eighty works made in the last six years that reflect the region's dynamic mix of cultures, its diasporas, and its socio-political realities, all of which are constantly transforming themselves. The forty-five emerging and established artists, who work both in the Caribbean and abroad, represent multiple perspectives as they explore the complexities of Caribbean history and identity. Including painting, sculpture, photography, prints and drawings, video, and installation, the exhibition is grouped around themes that encompass history, memory, politics, myth, religion, and popular culture.

The exhibition is curated by Tumelo Mosaka, Associate Curator of Exhibitions at the Brooklyn Museum.

Sponsored by Forest City Ratner Companies.

The exhibition is made possible by the Martha A. and Robert S. Rubin Exhibition Fund and the Barbara and Richard Debs Exhibition Fund. Generous support is contributed by the Peter Norton Family Foundation, the American Center Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. Additional funding is contributed by the Friends of Brooklyn Museum, the Mondriaan Foundation, Amsterdam, and the Consulate General of the Netherlands.

The accompanying catalogue is supported by a Brooklyn Museum publications endowment established by the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation and the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation.

is media sponsor.