Tyler Mitchell and Black Southern Familial Life

By: Alexis Shoats

Tyler Mitchell, Georgia Hillside (Redlining)

Idyllic, meaning pleasing or picturesque in natural simplicity. To see images of Georgia that challenge notions and ill-informed opinions of the south, left me full of so much gratitude. Tyler Mitchell is proud of his Southern upbringing and has set about showcasing varied facets of Black home life as well as the world we live in that exists outside the four walls. His art provides consumers with a few ideas and facts of how Black people try to exist idyll in an unjust world. 

The first didactic panel you come across is titled Southern Landscape. For many of us that call Atlanta home and grew up here, we will often quote the nickname “city in a forest”. Tyler references this and explains that the city has the largest canopy of any major urban area. Something I myself continue to discover daily through various walking trails around the city. To think that just 60 years ago due to the ambiguity of the Wilderness Act of 1964, I probably would not have been admitted access to enjoy preserved and sacred outdoor spaces due to the color of my skin. 

Moving throughout the exhibit, Tyler makes it clear that African Americans also hold a deep reverence for nature and like anyone else enjoy exploring and being still in its presence. “Riverside Scene” references Georges Seurat's A Sunday on La Grande Jatte, a notable painting depicting white- french people of various classes relaxing alongside the Seine River. In Mitchell's photograph, the subjects are similarly placed and relaxed alongside an unknown Georgia river. Experiencing nature in various ways, such as sitting in chairs, painting, or frolicking in the river itself. 

A more political photograph, titled Georgia Hillside (Redlining) makes a more overt statement. During an artist conversation held at the High Museum, Mitchell stated he was interested in this dual meaning of the word ownership. “To own, to own landscape, to take ownership of the landscape.” Further stating it isn’t Photoshop, he and a small team of friends painted (with washable paint) these red lines into the landscape. A symbolic reminder of the ways society has prevented Black people from owning homes and land. 

Tyler Mitchell, Idyllic Space

The piece that carries the namesake of the exhibition, Idyllic Space, I hope was not gravely missed by the masses. It is dedicated to Black youth, and more specifically Black boys. To fully appreciate this piece, you must sit in the beanbags that are surrounded by fake grass and a white picket fence. The piece surrounds you in a dream called home ownership, a dream many especially Black Americans, are still chasing. Keep this in your mind while you gaze at the video being played above you. Black youth carelessly ride bikes or play with hula hoops. An ideal childhood that is often stolen from Black kids for a multitude of reasons including the adultification of Black youth. 

As you move into the exhibition more, Mitchell begins to explore the interior component. The composition of Black family life, couples, heritage, and traditions. Of all the pieces, one that stuck with me is a photograph of little legs, and penny loafers on. Two people taking a nap in the park. You can feel the ease from the picture, and also the familial intimacy. There are also two wedding photos in the exhibit for you to review. Both couples are dressed in white, one photo taken with a brownstone as a backdrop and the other has a more vintage background with the bride wearing a cathedral veil. Mitchell also includes a small photo of the latter couple's children. Both images are breathtaking and highlight the positivity of Black couples in a world that traditionally pushes a different narrative about Black family life. 

Ancestors allow you to experience the inside of the home. A deeply intimate place for anyone. Tables and walls are decorated with pictures of ancestors and loved ones. The African- American culture deeply reveres family lineage especially because of the difficulty we encountered due to slavery. The United States census did not include African Americans until after the Civil War so you can imagine how incredibly hard it is to trace family lineage.

During an artist conversation at the High Museum, Mitchell also discusses the ways we use our home, specifically the living room as a way to present ourselves to others. He states, “How we fashion our homes, how that is a reflection of who we are and who we aspire to be. The way we situate photography in our living rooms, in our front rooms, the rooms that contain the things we almost don’t touch but present for others are such a profound site for understanding personhood, for a construction of identity.” 

Upon leaving the exhibit you are met with a laundry line of various images on fabric as well as pieces that tie into the theme such as socks. However, before you go, Mitchell asks you to do one more thing. To sit in community with others and take a look through various books that have influenced him and his practice. I can attest that this is the perfect way to close the exhibit. Mitchell has done a wonderful job of opening the door and inviting you in while maintaining the integrity of Black southern familial life. You will certainly walk away from this exhibit curious to explore these themes more.