Readers, Advisors, and Storefront Churches: Renee Stout, a Mid-Career Retrospective

This absorbing retrospective of Renee Stout's art is an exhibition of an important 21st century artist. The John and Maxine Belger Family Foundation serves as the main source for this particular collection.I was first introduced to Renee's work at a SoHo gallery during the mid 90's. That exhibit contained a small representation of Renee's extensive vocabulary, which is more fully captured in this catalogue. Renee's evocative and soul-stirring works are a visual and spiritual feast. Her minkisi-inspired figures, fetishes, altars and other works are rich, layered and endlessly fascinating.Michelle Owen-Workman and Stephen Bennett Phillips capture a broad spectrum of Renee's work along with a glimpse into the life, history, musings and inspirations of the artist herself. The catalogue even contains a "List of Terms" providing definitions for terms like Yoruba, Cosmogram, Damballah and Erzulie--all germane to understanding the language of Renee Stout's art.Though the photo quality is good, the paper stock is thin, and works that have a page of their own should have been brought to full-page scale. The content, however, far surpasses the quality of the catalogue itself.