“The Unheard: Indy's Response to Injustice.” Blade’s work captures spaces around Indy that are significant Indianapolis in the city’s fight against racial injustice.
This show is an exploration of the idea of 'black spaces' as opposed to the idea of what some call 'white spaces.' Here I am simultaneously exploring some of the culture and history of black people in the city of Indianapolis through place and space - whether it be Madame Walker's legacy through the theatre, or King Park commemorating the night that Kennedy spoke to the people of Indianapolis after Dr. Martin Luther King's assassination. The idea of 'black space' is a space where people of color feel comfortable and are usually not outnumbered.
"Courtland Blade seems to be drawn to such alienated buildings, such as in "The Parking Garage," which lacks a human presence and, as such, has a somewhat sinister feel. But there's an oddly attractive element to this oil on canvas painting, and its repeating round circles of light on the concrete floor of the parking garage draw you in like the luminous masses of color in certain Mark Rothko paintings." (Nuvo, Dan Grossman)