Awol Erizku (b. 1988)

"What drew me to the ubiquitous nail salon sign at first was the fact that I never had seen a version with a black hand, and second, that it's weird that this motif doesn't communicate whether the hand is receiving the rose or giving it...The moment the hand is black, considering the racial tension and political climate of our country, it took on a whole new life and meaning, which was very exciting to me as the basis for a new body of work" (A. Erizku, quoted in A. Nunes, "Nail Salon Paintings Critique a Ubiquitous Self-Care Symbol," VICE, 9 December 2016).
The present work, a stand-out example from Erizku's referenced recent series, refreshes the elegant, manicured hand by lacing it with a sense of grunge-chic, introducing a smooth new aesthetic rooted in the style of the street. Conscious in its use of glitter, refined in its understanding of color, and clever in its post-Pop composition, Do This overlays its found support with confident sex appeal, a celebration of the strong, empowered, gorgeous woman past the pictured wrist. More than a symbol elevated from its station in urban neighborhoods, the present lot is also a track on the artist's personal mixtape, its title taken from the eponymous HoodRich Pablo Juan rap playing in the studio when the work was painted. Dedicated to his partner and muse, Do This suggests an updated male gaze for today – one that calls the woman back to whatever agency society may have wrested from her and calls her contemporaries to newfound respect.