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"Caspera," 2019, RaMell Ross (American, born 1982), inkjet print mounted on dibond (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, National Endowment for the Arts Fund for American Art. Image: © RaMell Ross)
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"Coronation Theme: Organon," 2008, Nadine Robinson (American, born England, 1968), speakers, sound system, mixed media (High Museum of Art, Atlanta, given by John F. Wieland Jr. in memory of Marion Hill, 2008.175. Image: © Nadine Robinson)
The term “Dirty South” refers to the former Confederate states, legal corruption and, most recently, Southern hip-hop culture. A new exhibit at the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, “The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse” adds another perspective to the lexicon. The multigenre exhibit, which runs through Sept. 6, explores the aesthetics of Southern Black culture from the early 20th century through the rise of Southern hip-hop.
Works are by academically trained artists as well as those considered “outsiders,” and they explore appropriation and the relationship between visual arts and music. From grillz and SLABs (modified cars, one of which has been commissioned for the exhibit) to a commissioned recording by multimedia artist DJ Spooky, “The Dirty South” is a revelation of the legacy of Black Southern expression.
