Zombie Figuration Isn’t a Thing: A Critical Autopsy with Antwaun Sargent

Jordan Casteel, “Within Reach”, New Museum installation view, 2020. Photo: Dario Lasagni

In this episode of Explain Me, critic and curator Antwaun Sargent joins us to discuss the effects of the pandemic and Alex Greenberger’s Zombie Figuration, a confusing essay that appeared earlier this month in ARTnews. We discuss race, criticism, and why art has limits.

BIOGRAPHY

Antwaun Sargent is an art critic and a writer who has contributed to The New York Times, The New Yorker, Vice and more, as well as essays to multiple museum publications. His first book, “The New Black Vanguard: Photography between Art and Fashion” (Aperture) is out now. In April he announced a new partnership with Gagosian that will include working on four exhibitions and contributing features to their magazine.  Follow him on Twitter and Instagram. 

LISTENER ADVISORY: In this episode, Paddy Johnson occasionally repeats Antwaun Sargent’s words when his audio cuts out. This leads to periodic moments when Johnson and Sargent speak at the same time. 

LINKS

• First There Was Zombie Formalism, Now There is Zombie Figuration

• Met Apologies to Glenn Ligon

• Noah Davis

• Barkley Hendricks

• Kehinde Wiley 

• Cinga Samson

• Peter Saul 

• Alice Neal

• Jordan Casteel

• Jordan Casteel at the New Museum

EARLY WHITNEY BIENNIAL REVIEWS 

• Paddy Johnson

• Andrew Russeth

• Linda Yablonsky

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