Editorial

A Kerry James Marshall Playlist

Kerry James Marshall, 7am Sunday Morning, 2003. Acrylic on canvas banner; 120 x 216 in. (304.8 x 548.6 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Joseph and Jory Shapiro Fund by exchange, 2003.16. © 2003 Kerry James Marshall.

Photo: Michal Raz-Russo, © MCA Chicago

Visible or not, music permeates Kerry James Marshall’s artwork; sometimes appearing as actual lyrics and musical notes, sometimes just existing as inspiration, playing in Marshall’s studio while he works. Here we’ve assembled a Kerry James Marshall playlist, based on the music referenced in his work.

Painting of two people with dark skin hugging in the middle of a living room with a musical bar of notes above them
Kerry James Marshall, Slow Dance, 1992–93. Mixed media and acrylic on canvas; 75 1/4 x 74 1/4 in. (191.1 x 188.6 cm). Lent by the David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago; Purchase, Smart Family Foundation Fund for Contemporary Art, and Paul and Miriam Kirkley Fund for Acquisitions. Photo © 2015 courtesy of The David and Alfred Smart Museum of Art, The University of Chicago

The Originals, "Baby I'm For Real"

Image of a painting on stretched canvas hung by grommets that depicts a black family having a picnic in a park with others boat skiing and golfing in the background with the city seen in the distance.
Kerry James Marshall, Past Times, 1997. Acrylic and collage on canvas; 114 x 156 in. (289.6 x 396.2 cm). Metropolitan Pier and Exposition Authority, McCormick Place Art Collection. Photo: Nathan Keay, © MCA Chicago

The Temptations, "Just My Imagination (Running Away With Me)"

Snoop Dogg, "Gin and Juice"

Kerry James Marshall, Untitled (Vignette), 2012. Acrylic and glitter on PVC panel; 72 × 60 in. (182.9 × 152.4 cm). Collection of Martin Nesbitt and Dr. Anita Blanchard.

Stevie Wonder, "My Cherie Amour"

Kerry James Marshall, 7am Sunday Morning, 2003. Acrylic on canvas banner; 120 x 216 in. (304.8 x 548.6 cm). Collection Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, Joseph and Jory Shapiro Fund by exchange, 2003.16. © 2003 Kerry James Marshall. Photo: Michal Raz-Russo, © MCA Chicago

Marvin Gaye, "What's Going On"

Robert Johnson, "Cross Road Blues"

"Leaning on the Everlasting Arm"

"Just a Closer Walk with Thee"

"His Eye Is on the Sparrow"

A Screenshot of the website reads the exhibition title, Kerry James Marshall: Mastry, in black text on a white background with part of an image to the right. We can also see a secondary header that reads

Explore Kerry James Marshall's art, music, and references more deeply on our microsite.

Kerry James Marshall: Mastry

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