Field Notes: MOCA’s “Ordinary People: Photorealism and the Work of Art since 1968 “
Welcome to Field Notes, a NOMMO blog series that reviews exhibitions focused on Black history, art, and culture. Field notes record a researcher's observations and insights from their fieldwork. Our notes highlight recent African/Diasporic experiences in museums to promote accessibility for all.
MOCA’s latest exhibition, Ordinary People: Photorealism and the Work of Art since 1968, reexamines photorealism while centering powerful Black portraiture. Featuring artists like Kehinde Wiley, Amy Sherald, and Barkley Hendricks, the show highlights the presence and agency of Black figures in a movement often associated with technical precision over cultural critique.
Wiley’s regal compositions, Sherald’s muted yet emotionally rich tones, and Hendricks’ hyperreal depictions of everyday Black life challenge art historical conventions. These works are more than stunning representations—they are radical acts of visibility in a museum landscape that has historically omitted Black subjects.
Their photorealist techniques bring nuance to Black identity, asserting space and reshaping narratives around portraiture. Each brushstroke resists erasure, demanding recognition of Black life not as spectacle but as a vital and complex reality.
Beyond their technical mastery, these artists elevate everyday Black existence, turning familiar moments into commanding statements. Whether through Sherald’s contemplative figures or Hendricks’ casual yet arresting poses, their work reframes photorealism as an evolving language of representation, resistance, and reclamation.
Ordinary People challenges us to reconsider who is seen, how they are depicted, and why it matters. It is a necessary reminder that the everyday is political—and in the hands of these artists, it becomes unforgettable of the human experience.
Field Notes: Frieze 2025
Welcome to Field Notes, a NOMMO blog series that reviews exhibitions focused on Black history, art, and culture. Field notes record a researcher's observations and insights from their fieldwork. Our notes highlight recent African/Diasporic experiences in museums to promote accessibility for all.
For Black History Month, NOMMO’s team, founded by Tyree Boyd-Pates and accompanied by UCLA Art History artist Robert Young, had the honor of attending the VIP opening of Frieze Week 2025 at the Santa Monica Airport. As one of the most prestigious art fairs in the country, Frieze brought together leading figures from across the art world for an immersive and thought-provoking experience.
This year, Frieze Los Angeles showcased over 100 galleries from around the globe, offering a dynamic program that featured site-specific artworks, performances, and installations. Beyond the visual spectacle, the fair reinforced its commitment to community engagement by partnering with nonprofits to support grassroots projects and fundraising initiatives. Notably, Frieze also presented prestigious honors, including the Deutsche Bank Frieze Los Angeles Film Award and the Frieze Impact Prize. A specially curated section by Essence Harden highlighted solo exhibitions from U.S.-based galleries, amplifying fresh and critical artistic voices. To complement the experience, attendees enjoyed pop-up dining from some of Los Angeles' most celebrated restaurants.
Among the standout booths were David Zwirner, Superposition, Vielmetter, Dominique Gallery, and Ochi, each presenting a compelling vision of the evolving art landscape. One booth that spoke to the African Diaspora and NOMMO, the most captivating installations, came from April Bey’s exhibition with Vielmetter Los Angeles.
April Bey’s Atlantica: A Universe of Its Own
Bey’s immersive, mixed-media works stem from her ongoing Atlantica series—a visionary alternate universe where glitter is currency, and travelers pass through plant portals. Inspired by a conversation with her father, who used the language of science fiction to describe the Black experience, Atlantica serves as a radical reimagining of identity, resilience, and liberation.
Bey’s installation at Frieze enveloped viewers in fur-covered walls, intricately woven tapestries, and exuberantly embellished wall works. With elements of fantasy, Afrofuturism, Afrosurrealism, and post-colonial critique, her work reclaims the aesthetics of excess—glitter, beads, and textiles—to honor and uplift the figures within her community. In Atlantica, queerness flourishes unapologetically, and resistance is embedded in softness and adornment.
A Celebration of Art and Community
Beyond Bey’s striking presentation, Frieze Week also featured Lauren Halsey’s SummaEveryThang pop-up, which brought an incredible energy to the event, further underscoring the importance of art as a vehicle for cultural storytelling and community empowerment.
Reflecting on this year’s Frieze experience, we thank our NOMMO Board Member and Superposition Gallery, who made this opportunity possible. We look forward to continuing to engage with the evolving art world—one that, at its best, pushes boundaries, challenges narratives, and creates space for radical imagination.