DIMIN is thrilled to present Just on the Other Side, the New York solo debut of Baltimore-based artist Taj Poscé. Just on the Other Side is about the journey inward and outward. The artist weighs perspective, circumstance, and personal experience to capture the essence of this journey that he – and the rest of us – are eternally pursuing. Steeped in personal and universal histories, Poscé’s complex work is built by burning and collaging archival elements, construction materials, and paint. The combination of materials and the physical act of destruction imbues the work with a spirit found throughout natural history, aligning with universal laws and forces reflected by the ethereal motifs he employs. Poscé focuses on moments that crystalize the beauty and vulnerability of Black life, asking what it means to carry weight of the past spiritually, while simultaneously straddling a state of chaos thinking of the future.
For Poscé, “materials just show up”, as he says, and he’s worked with everything he’s encountered. Over the years he has refined these materials based on personal lineage and edited through process. Exploring the hierarchy of found materials – of trash versus treasure – his new compositions are chiefly made of research materials including newspapers and personal notes; construction materials like fibered aluminum, tar paper and industrial plastic sheeting; along with traditional studio materials. Drawing on a family history in construction, his unique use of materials forms the foundation of Poscé’s practice. In 2020, he bought a property in Philadelphia, which his grandfather helped him to renovate. His knowledge of construction materials came from his grandfather’s recommended use of tar paper on roofs and under flooring. His use of fire is inspired by his ability to harness its paradoxical properties, which for him represent desire and change. In another personal parallel, Poscé equates this process to personal growth, risking who you are to become who you need to be. “Sometimes that means destroying old versions to emerge as new.” Also a keen student of art history, Poscé’s interest in transformation through fire is a direct nod to the great Italian polymaterialist Alberto Burri, and the contemporary work of Anna Betbeze. Finally, the most striking visual elements of his work are drawn from the visual dialogue of the cities he knows best. High chroma, color, cutouts, imagery of bricklaying and piles of construction materials are direct references to his neighborhoods in both Philadelphia and Baltimore where he found distinct narrative elements from street to street.
With the use of iconographic and symbolic motifs, Poscé’s paintings are loaded with emotional rigor and imagination that responds to, reconstructs and reclaims imagery connected to Black histories, culture, and experiences. Through the lens of abstraction, Poscé incorporates symbols and representational shapes, typically taking the form of “atmospheric energies,” including shooting stars, ring circle galaxies, and clouds. Poscé is interested in the spiritual and ephemeral qualities of these motifs, which cannot be touched although you know they exist. Also prevalent throughout his work are Adinkra symbols, particularly the circular Adinkrahene. Originating in 19th century Ghana, the Adinkra symbols comprise a stylistic alphabet, each representing a concept or aphorism, and are used extensively in fabrics, logos and pottery to this day. While a good deal of his work focuses conceptually with the Black American experience, it remains universal and abstract. Taj Poscé’s mission remains to stretch the limitations of what has been dubbed the “Black aesthetic” and to raise the consciousness of society so that we see each other, and each other’s work equitably. To quote the artist: “I want to radiate liberation. I want to break the barriers to where my work is represented and visible in the canon of art history.”
TAJ POSCÉ was born and raised in Philadelphia, and is currently based in Baltimore, MD. Last spring Poscé finished his MFA at the Maryland Institute College of Arts (MICA) where he received the highest merit scholarship to the Leroy Hoffberger painting program and the Congressional Black Caucus Visual Artist Award. He has a BFA from the Tyler School of Arts (Philadelphia, PA) where he studied under Odili Donald Odita and received numerous awards including the Yale Norfolk Summer Residency, and a studio abroad in Rome, Italy with Italian American papermaker Roberto Mannino. Just on the Other Side is the artist’s first exhibition with DIMIN and first solo exhibition in New York.
