Glenn Ligon’s 2015 sculpture Untitled (America, America), recently acquired for MOCA’s permanent collection, pairs two erratically flickering neon signs, each reading “America.” The on-and-off flashing embodies the persistent sense that the United States, for all of its “dark deeds,” is nonetheless a “shining light.” Placing the sculpture face down on the floor, Ligon makes the subject, America, hard to see and hard to understand. Such ambiguity is at the heart of Ligon’s work. Ligon will speak about work currently featured in the exhibition Selections from MOCA’s Permanent Collection. His lecture is part of Artists on Artists, a new series that builds upon MOCA’s tradition of examining works and exhibitions through the voice of the artist.
Glenn Ligon, courtesy of Regen Projects, Los Angeles, photo by Paul Mpagi Sepuya
Artists on Artists: Glenn Ligon
LectureProgram
Program
Thursday, Nov 5, 2015 7pm
Artists on Artists: Glenn Ligon
Glenn Ligon’s 2015 sculpture Untitled (America, America), recently acquired for MOCA’s permanent collection, pairs two erratically flickering neon signs, each reading “America.” The on-and-off flashing embodies the persistent sense that the United States, for all of its “dark deeds,” is nonetheless a “shining light.” Placing the sculpture face down on the floor, Ligon makes the subject, America, hard to see and hard to understand. Such ambiguity is at the heart of Ligon’s work. Ligon will spea…