When you think of Mickalene Thomas, you might not think of photography. But it was for that lesser-known side of her practice that the artist was honored this week at the International Center of Photography’s annual ICP Spotlights benefit, honoring the accomplishments in film and photography of women in the visual arts.
“What photography has allowed me to do within my work is to expand what’s possible in my creative practice. It’s opened a door on so many levels,” Thomas said during the lunch. “I use photography for all of the different bodies of work—my landscapes, my interiors, the portraits, my silk screens. Photography is the center of my practice; I use it as a way of drawing and seeing.”