I
n the Service of Others – Yellow Umbrella exemplifies Reggie Burrows Hodges' painterly meditations on identity and memeory. The present work showcases silhouetted figures whose facial features are abstracted, leaving their poses and surroundings to suggest a pictorial narrative. Hodges’ technique of layering rich black pigment to form his figures starkly contrasts with the gestural and chromatic brushwork of their clothing and background, creating an evocative interplay between presence and absence. As Hodges' explains, “My practice has been inspired by the study of moments and translating the essence of them through color, figuration, abstraction, and various techniques of mark-making… I’m interested in intersecting an internal experience and symbolizing that in my work to present a view of my personal heritage and journey.”
“I start with a black ground [as a way] of dealing with blackness’s totality. I’m painting an environment in which the figures emerge from negative space… If you see my paintings in person, you’ll look at the depth.”
Hodges' figures seem to emerge from their environment, reinforcing his conceptual exploration of the relationship between identity and space. This effect aligns with his working method of starting with a black ground, allowing blackness to perform dynamically within the painting. By situating Black bodies within abstract yet recognizable settings, Hodges transforms historical tropes of spectatorship and participation, reframing them through his unique painterly sensibility. The present painting invites viewers into a dialogue about visibility, memory, and the fluid boundaries between figure and ground, ultimately making space for deeper contemplation of race, history, and human presence in contemporary art.
