DES MOINES, Iowa – Loss is inherent to the experience of being black in America. The centuries-long history of racist violence against Black people in this country has resulted in a collective grief that binds us all together for generations. B. Robert Moore exhibition, In loving memory at the Des Moines Art Center, is one man’s artistic journey as he struggles with that ever-present sadness. Through paintings, sculptures, and installations, Moore delves into ancestral trauma, exposing the intimate and often heartbreaking realities of blackness and anti-blackness in the United States.
True to the title, the specter of death hovers over the exhibition. In the first room there are four black and white oval paintings as memorial portraits, reminiscent of the Bombing at the 16th Street Baptist Church that killed four little black girls. In the main gallery, 34 black granite tombstones stand regally, like soldiers, and form the beautiful centerpiece of the exhibition. The headstones are blank except for one, which reads: “Involuntary veteran of the United States of America, husband, father, son, brother and friend, in loving memory.” On the wall behind them hangs “Every N*gga a Star” (ca. 2023) — a somber constellation of framed folded flags reminiscent of those that typically commemorate fallen soldiers. However, instead of the traditional stars and bars, Moore uses the red, black, and green African American flag, and the names engraved on the plaques are those of murdered black Americans. Trayvon Martin, George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Emmett Till, Eric Garner – the names go on. Walking into that gallery feels like you are attending a funeral.
Sometimes the sadness is almost too great to bear. In its five or so rooms, the exhibition touches on themes such as addiction, police brutality, lynchings, absent parents, loss of family, labor inequality and misogyny, wringing out every ounce of feeling. In one corner, a neon noose hangs from the ceiling, glowing almost acidically. The painting “Kin to War” (c. 2023) depicts a brown, doe-eyed boy strapping on a military-grade helmet, a reminder that daily survival for Black people can feel like fighting a war we have been part of since birth obliged. Later, Moore takes us to his late grandmother’s sitting room in an ambitious installation cut straight from memory. With its soft brown carpet, family photos and chintzy framed photos of flowers, this could be any black grandmother’s living room. The artist invites you to interact with the space: come in, sit down and have a mint. The most poignant part is when you pick up the landline and you hear the sound of Moore’s deceased grandfather.
The exhibition balances between expressing collective black sadness and Afro-pessimism. Grief can be processed and, when channeled, pave the way for healing; it can be forward-looking and optimistic. Afro-pessimism, on the other hand, is the belief that the black experience is inherently defined by violence, oppression, and anti-blackness; it is the continued bondage of Blackness to suffering. Moore is an undeniably talented artist. There is a lot of beauty in the pain that can be seen in his work. But it’s not enough. Although some works by other artists, such as Njideka Akunyili Crosby and Arnaldo Roche-Rabell, introduce different notes of emotion, Moore’s work does not abandon pessimism. Blackness doesn’t have to be defined by the violence committed against us, but there’s nothing else to see here. This show feels like you are standing next to an open grave.
B. Robert Moore: In loving memory continues at the Des Moines Art Center (4700 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Iowa) through October 20. exhibition was organized by Laura Burkhalter and b. Robert Moore.
