The Gaze

July 30–October 31, 2021

Astoria, New York, July 26, 2021 — Barry Jenkins’s extraordinary and acclaimed adaptation of Colson Whitehead's Pulitzer Prize–winning novel The Underground Railroad will be the focus of a gallery installation at Museum of the Moving Image beginning July 30. The installation will be anchored by Jenkins’s film The Gaze, a nearly hour-long assemblage of moving-image portraits of principal and background cast featured throughout the show’s ten episodes, and also includes production and costume design material from the limited series. Installed within the Museum’s core exhibition Behind the Screen, An Act of Seeing: Barry's Jenkins's The Gaze will be on view through October 31, 2021.

In tandem with the installation, the Museum will also present a members-only screening of select episodes of The Underground Railroad in its grand Redstone Theater on Sunday, August 15. Learn more about becoming a MoMI member here.

In The Underground Railroad, Barry Jenkins uses a rigorous visual aesthetic approach in adapting Whitehead’s book, which follows the character Cora as she escapes from a Georgia plantation and makes the arduous journey to freedom. In tackling this project, Jenkins aimed to depict Black lives in the pre–Civil War south with dignity and authenticity. In The Gaze (2021, 52 mins.), his companion piece to The Underground Railroad, Jenkins further engages ideas about visibility, history, and power in the portraits of the series' background actors, inspired by the work of artist Kerry James Marshall and set to composer Nicholas Britell’s haunting score. Dressed in period-inspired costumes created by costume designer Caroline Eselin across the various environments that comprise the series’ occasionally fantastical yet achingly resonant mid-nineteenth-century settings, the actors gaze directly at the viewer, evincing a mix of vulnerability, defiance, and candor.

On what inspired him to make The Gaze, which he shot intermittently during production of The Underground Railroad, Jenkins noted, “Standing in the spaces our ancestors stood, we had the feeling of seeing them, truly seeing them and thus, we sought to capture and share that seeing with you.” The result is a remarkably intimate, meditative experience that invites viewers to reconsider the past as well as the present.

Along with the entirety of The Gaze, the installation will feature production and costume design material, allowing for an appreciation of how the visual world depicted in The Underground Railroad was developed. It includes a selection of concept art, created by production designer Mark Friedberg working with artist Hugh Sicotte, which translates the script into digitally rendered images that vividly evoke the varied landscapes of the series. Mood boards compiled by Eselin show the wide range of historical and artistic imagery that influenced the overall look of the characters, and costume illustrations, made by artist Gloria Young Kim, demonstrate how those references were ultimately distilled into Eselin’s designs.

“While Barry Jenkins’s The Gaze is inextricably tied to The Underground Railroad, it is a compelling work of art in its own right,” said Barbara Miller, the Museum’s Deputy Director for Curatorial Affairs. “Its contemplative pace draws attention to the role of costume and production design in creating the emotional tone of the film. We are thrilled to present The Gaze alongside material that represents the exceptional work by production designer Mark Friedberg and costume designer Caroline Eselin.”

The Underground Railroad is currently streaming on Amazon Prime Video.

The installation An Act of Seeing: Barry's Jenkins's The Gaze is supported by Amazon Prime Video.

Top image: From The Gaze (2021, Barry Jenkins) / courtesy of Amazon Studios.

Press contact: Tomoko Kawamoto, tkawamoto@movingimage.us or 718 777 6830.

Press images are available here (user: press / password: images)

MUSEUM INFORMATION
Museum of the Moving Image (movingimage.us) advances the understanding, enjoyment, and appreciation of the art, history, technique, and technology of film, television, and digital media. In its stunning facility—acclaimed for both its accessibility and bold design—the Museum presents exhibitions; screenings of significant works; discussion programs featuring actors, directors, craftspeople, and business leaders; and education programs which serve more than 70,000 students each year. The Museum also houses a significant collection of moving-image artifacts. Follow MoMI on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.


Temporary Hours (through August 2021): Friday, 2:00 to 8:00 p.m. Saturday–Sunday, 12:00 to 6:00 p.m.
Museum Admission : $15 adults; $11 senior citizens (ages 65+) and students (ages 18+) with ID; $9 youth (ages 3–17). Children under 3 and Museum members are admitted free.
Address : 36-01 35 Avenue (at 37 Street), Astoria (Queens), NY, 11106
Subway : M (weekdays only) or R to Steinway Street. W (weekdays only) or N to 36 Ave.
Program Information : Telephone: 718 777 6888; Website: movingimage.us
Membership : http://movingimage.us/support/membership or 718 777 6877

Film Screenings: Friday evenings, Saturdays and Sundays, and as scheduled. Unless otherwise noted, tickets are $15 adults / $11 students and seniors / $9 youth (ages 3–17) / discounted for Museum members. Advance purchase is recommended online. 

Please note safety protocols for visiting the Museum.


Museum of the Moving Image is housed in a building owned by the City of New York and has received significant support from the following public agencies: New York City Department of Cultural Affairs; New York City Council; New York City Economic Development Corporation; New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature; Institute of Museum and Library Services; National Endowment for the Humanities; National Endowment for the Arts; and Natural Heritage Trust (administered by the New York State Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation). For more information, please visit movingimage.us.