Thomas J Price: Witness
The Studio Museum in Harlem presents a new film on Thomas J Price: Witness, made alongside Price's presentation of the same name in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park. The short film features The Distance Within (2021), a sculpture of a young Black man looking down at his cell phone. Says Price, "It's about communication. How we connect to one another." Through interviews with the artist in his studio and hometown of Brixton, England, the film considers who we monumentalize, global connection, the requisite "freedom to exist safely," and more, all in stunning detail.
Price’s large-scale figural sculptures are inspired by real people, often those who live and work in his hometown of South London where the artist resides today. In Harlem, Price finds a home away from home. Both historically Black neighborhoods with rich social and cultural legacies, the respective landscapes of Harlem and Brixton remain in dialogue. With footage of the artist’s nine-foot bronze figure The Distance Within (2021) being cast and then installed in Harlem’s Marcus Garvey Park, the film explores Price's investigation into the liberatory potential of public art.
Thomas J Price: Witness is presented as part of The Studio Museum in Harlem’s series of collaborative initiatives, inHarlem, which are being undertaken while the Museum is preparing for construction of its new building designed by Adjaye Associates with Cooper Robertson.
Thomas J Price: Witness is organized by Legacy Russell, former Associate Curator, Exhibitions (now Executive Director and Chief Curator, The Kitchen) with Yelena Keller, Curatorial Assistant, Exhibitions, and is an inHarlem project presented by The Studio Museum in Harlem in partnership with Marcus Garvey Park Alliance and NYC Parks.
Created and produced by RAVA Films. RAVA Films is a New York-based, full-service production company and creative agency that illuminates real life stories through artful filmmaking.
Thomas J Price: Witness is made possible thanks to the Open Society Foundations. inHarlem support provided by Citi, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation, Institute of Museum and Library Services, and JPMorgan Chase.