In Pitch Blackness, Hank Willis Thomas‘s first monograph, Thomas appropriates images of dark-skinned flesh branded with Nike swooshes, a black fist transforming into rolling tires, and a silhouette of Michael Jordan aiming a gun instead of dunking a basketball. These images, particularly those of the “Br@nded” section are rife with an infallible critique on Black identity and its place in mass marketing. Containing a section dedicated to the loss of his brother, Pitch Blackness is a testament to Thomas’ mission that, “All my work is about what I learned and what I lost when the closest person in the world to me was killed over a chain.” Thomas will be at Strand Bookstore (828 Broadway
at 12th St) tonight at 7 to discuss and sign copies of the book. An exhibition featuring all new work, also titled Pitch Blackness, is opening at Jack Shainman Gallery on Thursday the 12th.