You can’t see their faces, but you can tell they’re having a blast. A young Black man in a suit dances by himself, his back turned to you. Across from him, a woman in her Sunday best dances as her hair swings in front of her face. We don’t know who they are, where they are, what year it is or why they’re dancing.
That’s the point. At “Good Times,” Miami-based artist Chris Friday’s latest exhibition, Black people can have fun in peace. On Wednesday, Friday opened the show at nonprofit Oolite Arts’ gallery space on Lincoln Road. The exhibition references the 1970s sitcom “Good Times,” and just like its namesake, the collection of new artwork revels in nostalgia despite hardship. The show’s overall positive outlook touches on nuanced themes, like hair care, rest, community spaces and living through oppression.
“It encompasses a lot of different subject matter all at once,” Friday said. “I can talk about anything when I talk about good times.” Friday is a multidisciplinary artist who often analyzes pop culture and how Black people are portrayed in media. Her large scale drawings, like the ones on display at “Good Times,” are of figures doing leisurely activities, like resting, dancing and having fun. The show is on view until April 2.
