The Frye Art Museum in Seattle is hosting "Tom Lloyd," a comprehensive exhibition of the late Black artist's pioneering light sculptures, on view until September 20. Developed by the Studio Museum in Harlem for its 2025 reopening, the show features Lloyd's geometric works made from Buick taillight lenses and Christmas bulbs, including iconic pieces like "Veleuro" (1968) and "Moussakoo" (1968), alongside early mechanical sculptures, later collages, and archival materials.
This exhibition matters because it reclaims Lloyd's place in art history as one of the few Black artists working in light art during the 1960s, a figure long overlooked by mainstream narratives. Lloyd insisted his experiential, abstract light works be seen as Black art, challenging expectations that Black artists must produce figurative or identity-based work. His story highlights systemic erasure in the art world and raises urgent questions about preservation, institutional recognition, and the politics of categorization.