I’ve spent the past few weeks in Los Angeles, decompressing and wandering around the city, just soaking everything in. Los Angeles is one of my favorite cities to visit; I always feel so relaxed there and always manage to have the most magical experiences.

This past weekend, a friend invited me to view Henry Taylor’s B-Side at The Museum of Contemporary Art.

Surveying thirty years of Henry Taylor’s work in painting, drawing, sculpture, and installation, this retrospective celebrates a Los Angeles artist widely appreciated for his unique aesthetic, social vision, and freewheeling experimentation. Populated by friends and relatives, strangers on the street, athletic stars, politicians and entertainers, Taylor’s canvases describe an imagination encompassing multiple worlds. Informed by experience, his work conveys its fundamental empathy in close looking and sharpened social criticism alike. Henry Taylor: B Side is the largest exhibition of Taylor’s work to date.

What I love most about Taylor’s work is how authentic it is. My definition of art used to be perfection: the perfectly painted still-life featuring a fruit bowl, every brush stroke in its place. The flawlessly sculpted figure with no chips. Or the piece that puts it all out there in an easily digestible way. But I’ve grown to understand and appreciate that it’s about expression. Each brush stroke by Taylor is made with intention while also being up for interpretation.

The works delicately balance and span across politics, culture, and fashion. Taylor often used everyday objects such as cereal boxes, matchboxes, and suitcases to spread awareness. And it made me realize that there is beauty and a hidden message in the ordinary.

A collage of my favorite pieces from the exhibit, with the afro tree being at the top of the list; to me, it symbolizes strength, growth, longevity, and also the many possibilities of Black people. Another item, a box painted white, with “we tried to keep you motha f*ckers out” scribbled on the front, transports me back to my hometown of Brooklyn, where gentrification is rampant; a piece like that is timeless, spans locations and has many different definitions when it comes to being “kept out.”

Henry Taylor’s B-Side is a powerful exhibit that left me feeling inspired. The exhibit runs until April 23, 2023.

The Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles is located at 250 S Grand Ave, Los Angeles, CA.