'Five/5ths: A Tunnel Vision Collective Presentation' Takes Over The Okay Space July 21st
"Five/5ths is both an introduction to Tunnel Vision and a statement on solidarity. Division is necessary to a degree but the importance of solidarity is understanding that you're a part of something whole."
This is how James "JD" Malone describes his Five/5ths: A Tunnel Vision Collective Presentation to me on a sunny Thursday in Brooklyn. The audio and visual exhibition will showcase the artistry of Tunnel Vision's roster, which features contributions from photographers Malone, Dexter R. Jones and Stephen Smallwarner; painter Sophia Dawson and singer-songwriter Geminelle.
Tunnel Vision was born out of Malone's desire to promote the work of black artists in the world of contemporary art. "I'm getting my portfolio viewed by people associated with agencies in the art world and the same comment I'm getting is, "You need to diversify your portfolio," Malone says. "I took that as my work wasn't the issue but my subjects were. I'm shooting black people because that's my community, that's my world. So I decided to create my own agency to represent myself and my homies — Tunnel Vision."
Fast forward to today and Tunnel Vision has hosted exhibitions for its own roster, as well as other black artists such as Jeana Lindo and Markus Prime. It has also made appearances at festivals such as AfroPunk, and frequently has had shows at ARTs East New York.
But Five/5ths is as much a celebration as it is an introduction of Tunnel Vision's black talent. Geminelle, who just released her debut album Audiobook back in June, will perform music from the project at the event. The 12-song effort, Audiobook, features co-production from Soulection's AbJo, with Geminelle exploring themes of love, vulnerability, acceptance and spirituality.
The Five/5ths exhibition will be at our Okay Space from July 21 to July 30. The opening party on July 21 will go from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m., and will include complimentary drinks and tunes by DJ Triptych.
To learn more about the Facebook event please click here and to RSVP, do so here.
