Entering the World of Theaster Gates

I really enjoyed seeing the "Young Lords and Their Traces" exhibit. The way that each piece was positioned and presented brought everything to life and it was even more alluring than what I saw online. One piece that I really thought was interesting was "A Negro Digest for a Weary Heart". I felt like this was Gates only piece that was actively telling a story to its viewers. I believe the main idea of this story is about prominent issues or concepts like race, war and religion that consumes the nation. Then rest of the words on the book come together and they show these issues being addressed by others such as "poets... recording the sorrow... in full color..." and black people whose lives circulate around race. The words "Ma Ma Ma Madonna" reminds me of a hymn and to me that indicates this story could have been told from the point of view of a person of color or a point where religion and political and social issues intertwined. To a larger degree, I think this artwork contributes to the historical aspect that Gates ties to all his artwork. Especially the stories and narratives that African Americas passed down through generations.