ExhibitionsThe Eagle Flies Free, But Why Not Me?

Jamel Robinson, Memorabilia, 2022

Jamel Robinson, The Eagle Flies Free, But Why Not Me?, 2022

Jamel Robinson, We Were Knot Supposed To Make It That Far From The Tree, 2023

“I want people, primarily the youth, to ask why I’m using sand, rice, rope, pennies, nails, chains, and wood in the work so that we are socially we’re forced to address the truth regarding historical issues of race inequality that may have changed in shape, but are still the pulse of our country today.” - Jamel Robinson

Jamel Robinson’s upcoming exhibition, “The Eagle Flies Free, But Why Not Me?” comments on the Black American experience through the innovative use of found materials. Robinson’s artistic career has spanned a decade and unfolded in the form of striking and profound assemblage works. His assemblage practice utilizes immediate materials, demanding viewers take inquisitive action when confronted with them. Public space and ownership are the subtexts that run throughout Robinson’s practice.

Why firewood? Firewood represents the reclamation of a discarded item that was chosen to be burned.

Why pennies? Pennies serve as a metaphor for how black men and women have been seen throughout American history.

Why rice? Rice was hidden in the braids of enslaved individuals on their journey to the New World.

Why sand? Sand is a reminder of the enslaved being taken from coast to coast.

Why boxing gloves? Boxing gloves represent the constant fight.

Why the Eagle? Eagles are a symbol of American prowess and freedom. They soar uninterrupted throughout the country as a protected species, contrary to the plight of African Americans.

The materials used to create the unique works in Robinson’s exhibition speak to the present and historical realities of grief in Black America. Gallery 495 is proud to host Robinson’s very first exhibition in Catskill, NY, and the first exhibit to showcase the full range of Robinson’s assemblage artworks. Many of the works on view were made in the Berkshire Mountains, a sister region to the Hudson Valley, at the Long Meadow Arts Residency.