Kumasi J. Barnett: The Amazing Black-Man @ Lowell Ryan Projects in Los Angeles

Lowell Ryan Projects presentsThe Amazing Black-Man, a solo exhibition by Brooklyn-based artist Kumasi J. Barnett. Riffing on classic superhero series including;The Amazing Spider-ManThe Incredible Hulk, SupermanDaredevil and Captain America, the show will feature two hundred hand-painted comic book works pinned up in their clear plastic sleeves. For each work, Barnett has painted over the cover of an old Marvel or DC comic book, replacing familiar heroes with characters including β€œThe Amazing Black-Man,” β€œThe Media’s Thug,” β€œWhitedevil,” and β€œPolice-Man.” Barnett replaces Spider-Man’s full-body leotard with a hoodie and jeans, Superman’s logo with the stars and bars of the Confederate flag, and turns the supernatural villains intoβ€”a no less brutal nemesisβ€”the police. Alteration here acts as an intervention. By addressing real world issues through a superhuman genre, Barnett’s work dissolves the disconnect between contemporary American narratives and the reality of β€œjustice,” making us reexamine cultural conceptions surrounding the Good versus Evil paradigm.

The Amazing Black-Man is on view through August 17 at Lowell Ryan Projects 4851 W Adams Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90016. photographs courtesy of the artist and Lowell Ryan Projects