Open Call 2019 Recipient: Cameron Granger

September 14 - October 13 2019

In 1995 Antwan Patton & André Benjamin—Outkast, outcasts—stood against the world.

Because at that time, you see, all eyes were either to the East or the West, but these kids were from the South, so believe me when I say that when those two kids from the South were named best new artists at the ‘95 Source Awards, the room tore itself apart at its very seams.

If you watch the footage today you’ll probably hear the booing first. Massive, as if it could push on through whatever screen you were watching it on. If you stay longer though, you’ll see the two artists, making their way through the crowd and to the stage where, standing tall, unshaken, and side by side, André would assure us all that—no—where André would declare that:

“The south got something to say.”

I guess i’m thinking of Antwan, standing alongside his nigga, eyes trained forward, ready to defend him against whatever may come from that moment on. I guess i’m thinking of my own niggas, with their eyes trained forward past me, ready to do the same.

“Before I Let Go” is an exhibition of new video and text based work from Cameron Granger. It’s
dedicated to the wonderful gift of being seen by someone we love, and the life that gift can bring.

Cameron Granger came up in Cleveland, Ohio alongside his mother, Sandra, inheriting both a love of soul music, and a certain way of apologizing too much. A 2017 resident of the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, his work explores his place in, and role as a product of American history and its media. His most recent projects include “Ten Toes Down” at the Museum of Contemporary Photography in Chicago, “Pearl” a body of collaborative works with his mother at Ctrl+Shft in Oakland, and “A library, for you” a traveling community library