There is a wide range of perspectives on what constitutes “play,” each one richly detailed and textured. Similar to the discourse surrounding the term, play’s definition is vast, with interpretations ranging from the literal to the deeply philosophical. Some minds situate play in the context of youthfulness, rendering it obsolete with onset of adulthood. Others explore ethereal characterizations of the word…organic, corporeal, and joyful. Play can also serve as an agent of insurgency by challenging structural norms or using satire to critique cultural conventions. Alternatively, it can be meditative, centering process and letting intuition guide. Play is requisite for personal and collective liberation. Whether it be through meticulous or spontaneous means, we all must fulfill our primordial need to play.

Turbulence is an incontrovertible aspect of being human. Close to home and far away, there is suffering and adversity. Pain and injustice are not only historical facts, but also future inevitabilities. Working in civil rights for the last four years has taught me that much. Lately, I’ve been grappling with my own role amidst this chaos and trying to meaningfully engage with these truths in a sustainable way. I strive to hold space for a multitude of struggles without homogenizing them or approaching them solely through a lens of despondency. There is danger in implying that there is one solution to disparate maladies. That being said, I would argue that there are some innate remedies and intrinsic tools for navigating this entropy that are available to all regardless of identity or circumstance. Chief among them is play.

In the absence of play, disquiet and trauma fester, preventing us from thinking beyond the limitations of the oppressive forces that govern our world and keeping us trapped in the simulation. Thus, engaging in any form of play is a political act, a transgressive occurrence. I’ve given much thought to how we might use play as an instrument to hold two truths at once. Amidst the struggle, there will be joy.

For my first curatorial project, I sought to marry these seemingly oppositional forces by exploring the ways in which six artists from a variety of backgrounds conceptualize play within their own practice and ethos. Intrinsic Tool invites viewers to break away from the prosaic grind of contemporary society and investigate the limitations of their own cognition. The artworks are meant to be seen, touched, and embodied. From dynamic paintings that defy the traditional bounds of canvas, to interactive cross-cultural visual tools and otherworldly labyrinth sculptures that push one’s imagination, the artists that comprise Intrinsic Tool decouple themselves from life’s “shoulds.” Collectively, they further the viewer's capacity for experimenting and feeling in subtly radical ways.

I must express deep gratitude to The DC Arts Center for this extraordinary opportunity. An even greater thanks is owed to my mentor Fabiola R. Delgado for taking me under her wing and showing me what it means to be an intentional curator and empathetic community builder. I’m indebted to the electric artists in this show - Isaiah Aladejobi, Lola Collins, Jazzmin Imani, Shana Kohnstamm, Matthew Russo, and Yetunde Sapp. Thank you for trusting me to champion your work and share your stories. To my loved ones and my beloved cat Chicken, thank you for keeping me grounded throughout this labor of love.

Carter Wynne
Apprentice Curator, The Curatorial Initiative
The DC Arts Center