Lavaughan Jenkins: The Watcher and the Watchman

June 9 – August 12, 2023

Closing Reception: Friday, August 11 from 6-8p

Lavaughan Jenkins, Nigel the Watcher, 2023. Acrylic and spray paint over spackle, foam, and steel piping. Courtesy of the artist.

Lavaughan Jenkins, The Watchman, 2023. Acrylic and spray paint over spackle, foam, and steel piping. Courtesy of the artist.Boston-based artist Lavaughan Jenkins uses his brush to expand conventional notions of painting beyond the boundaries of traditional, two-dimensional surface mediums. He uses paint as structural layering to create 3-D figures that protrude from his canvases. Similarly, he builds layers of paint upon blank figures to give shape and depth to the bodies of his subjects.

Drawing from his own personal experiences of harassment and racial profiling at the hands of law enforcement, Jenkins’ AEIVA exhibition, The Watcher and the Watchman addresses the national discussion regarding racism and abuse of force by police. Nigel, a recurring character in Jenkins’ work, serves as a stand-in for protectors and protestors of every color who march and fight against white supremacy, as well as the experiences of those who have suffered at the receiving end.