Exposure- Lamont Joseph White

On view now through March 2, 2023

This selection includes works from White’s many collections including his “Never Sleeps” series, featuring portraits of the extraordinary people of New York City and his “Mountain Top” series, in which he envisions Black cultural icons, including rap legends 2Pac and Biggie and towering historical figures like Fredrick Douglass, all wearing ski gear. “I think about my dad growing up in the Jim Crow South and the stories that he shared with me. My dad is a hero of mine. Those other heroes are sort of like Black legacy heroes. We think about the thrill of skiing. We think about how much we enjoy it, the freedom. How we’re going to navigate in a wonderful environment and the healthy things of being on the mountain. I wanted to bring them with me through my art. It’s a tribute to them but also it’s my way of visually bringing them with me to the mountain. After I had done a couple of those pieces, it dawned on me in Martin Luther King’s final speech, literally the day before he was killed, he said: ‘I’ve been to the mountaintop.’ He used the mountain top as a metaphor for the place we want to arrive. And when we get to that place, we’ll all be free. Then he says: ‘I’ve been there and I may not get there with you.’ It stunned me for a few minutes when I realized that in the middle of this collection — that’s why I brought him along with me. As if to say: ‘We are there with you.’”

Thematically, inclusion and diversity are always important for Lamont. It’s often said that race doesn’t matter or that color isn’t seen. He prefers, instead, to observe our differences so that we can better embrace them.

Lamont Joseph White was born and raised in New York City. He currently resides in Park City, Utah.

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