Tableau #1: Greetings from the late great. . .

An easel advertising inspirational talks by Malcolm X, master motivational speaker, supreme role model, and ultimate po-mo hustler ("Lose Weight By Any Means Necessary"). A group of blackboards, part historical recreation (Nation of Islam lectures), part Beuysian impersonation take up themes of Malcolm's pedagogical practice in a "high art" context. Several different tapes of Malcolm's voice greeting the audience. A fragmented, abject portrait of the media star back from the grave as over-the-hill huckster, the trade show greeter selling degraded social sculpture.

Over the Portal to the Exhibition:

"If you made it into a classy place it would be O.K., but I can imagine them selling WeeGee-style candid shots of famous dead people. SELLING MOMENTOS OF DEATH IS BAD. (Fred Siegel, Professor of Urban History quoted in NYT Style section article on the ironic marketing of death April? `94