Walking into Marcus Brutus' solo show, Maiden Voyage at Harper's new flagship gallery in Chelsea, the works and gazes of the characters surround you as if you have just entered their party. It's a fantastic vantage point, as figures are waiting for you to come and perhaps appear as if you are late to their activity. There is a DJ in the window, there is a hairdresser, men working on cars, a drummer, a man cooking, a woman lounging on a patio with a cold beer nearby. It's a masterclass in showing paintings of the same size, deftly displayed at the right distance apart, that gives the impression that you are in a film or in a place of quiet repose.
Brutus said of the works that they depict “everyday life, creating universally relatable moments while celebrating Black life.” As the gallery notes, "References to art, music, and dance coalesce in Brutus’s spirited paintings. Works inspired by jazz musicians, renderings of music, and active movement can be seen throughout the series." Perhaps that is why the viewer feels so much movement when walking into the space. There is sound but it's quiet. The characters are going about their business but they seem to want the audience. Intimacy meets history—Evan Pricco