The Blues and Mean Reds & Sound of Light
Frank Stewart and Petra Richterová
April 26, 2025 to June 28, 2025
Press Release
Reception
THE BLUES AND MEAN REDS & SOUND OF LIGHT
From April 26 to June 28, 2025, the Wilmer Jennings Gallery at Kenkeleba is pleased to present THE BLUES AND MEAN REDS by Frank Stewart and SOUND OF LIGHT by Petra Richterová. Two concurrent photographic exhibitions are in dialogue, exploring jazz culture and the broader landscape of Black music. The exhibitions are composed of more than 50 digital and silver gelatin photographs. The opening reception at the Wilmer Jennings Gallery will be April 26, from 3 - 6 pm.
Modernist master photographer Frank Stewart, and his former student, scholar, and visual artist Petra Richterová explore Black music visually through a dynamic, reportage-style approach. Their comprehensive understanding of music as a metaphor for everyday life within the African Diaspora is reflected in artworks spanning the United States, the Caribbean, and the African continent. This exhibition is particularly significant as it emphasizes the power of intergenerational and interdisciplinary collaboration, as well as the tradition of apprenticeship uniting a mentor and a student.
Sound of Light is a deeply personal visual tribute to the art of music and photography that is based on Richterová’s 2022 monograph of the same name with text by the late Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Greg Tate. In documenting legendary musicians and dancers of many genres such as Robert Glasper, Randy Weston, Parliament-Funkadelic and Les Twins, Richterová demonstrates the spirit of performance on and off-stage. The artworks pair dynamic imagery with a sense of intimacy revealing her many collaborations over the years. The Sound of Light reflects a vibrant, interconnected narrative of Black music and performance, highlighting the aesthetic and spiritual dimensions. Petra Richterová’s images have been shown at Columbia University, Fábrica de Arte Cubano, and The Studio Museum in Harlem. She is a Professor of African and African American Art History at Savannah College of Art and Design.
The Blues and Mean Reds exhibits the rich culture of blues and jazz in images spanning Frank Stewart’s more than 50-year career photographing the African Diaspora. Stewart’s work not only explores jazz holistically as Black culture, but also demonstrates his passionate, spontaneous approach to portraying the world surrounding him. Stewart is considered one of the significant visual storytellers of his generation because of his lifelong commitment to documenting Black culture and music, as well as his experimentation with the photographic medium. Although most well-known for his jazz photography while Senior Staff Photographer for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Frank Stewart has documented a wide range of subjects by using striking compositions. He is known for contrasting deep blacks and bright whites and juxtaposing opposing moods and emotions. The Blues and Mean Reds features analog black and white street photography, including the 1978 funerary procession for the Tubman family in Liberia, alongside classic portraits of jazz masters like Count Basie, Miles Davis and Wynton Marsalis. Frank Stewart’s photographs are in the permanent collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the High Museum of Art, and the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
Opening Reception: Saturday, April 26, 2025 3-6 pm
Gallery Hours: Wednesday to Saturday, 11 am to 6 pm
Location: 219 East Second Street, New York, NY, 10009
Kenkeleba programs are funded in part by the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in partnership with the City Council, the Ruth Foundation and many generous friends.
