The mandatory and thankfully complimentary valet parking outside the Dallas Contemporary museum was a sign—typically, I’m not invited to things like this. But sure enough, my name was on the list for a VIP reception for the two most politically charged and timely art exhibitions I’ve ever seen.
The reception inaugurated the first showing of a new exhibition by world-renowned artist and activist Shepard Fairey, “Backward Forward.” It was also the first American showing of “Chorus,” an immersive performance art piece by South African multidisciplinary artist Gabrielle Goliath. Both exhibitions, boldly political in nature, have a particular resonance with the political climate in Texas.
Dallas is an unlikely host for cutting-edge political art. In 1955, the burgeoning art scene in the city was rocked by the “red art” controversy. The reactionary political climate in North Texas, documented vividly in books like Nut Country by Edward Miller and The Accommodation by Jim Schutze, engendered a fervid campaign by conservative citizen groups who sought to ban the exhibition of art they viewed as having communist affiliations. The Dallas Patriotic Council accused the Dallas Museum of Art of intentionally promoting “subversive” artists who were allegedly part of communist front groups connected back to the Soviet Union.
