The Brooklyn Museum is hosting a new exhibition that celebrates the director Spike Lee’s iconic films and his love for sports. The exhibition, titled “Spike Lee: Do the Right Thing”, features movie posters, sports jerseys, memorabilia, and behind-the-scenes footage from Lee’s career spanning over four decades.
A Wall of Movie Posters
The exhibition begins with a wall projection of “Malcolm X”, the 1992 biopic starring Denzel Washington as the civil rights leader. The film was nominated for two Academy Awards and is considered one of Lee’s masterpieces. The projection is accompanied by a display of movie posters from Lee’s other films, such as “Do the Right Thing”, “She’s Gotta Have It”, “Mo’ Better Blues”, “Jungle Fever”, and “BlacKkKlansman”. The posters showcase Lee’s distinctive style, his use of vibrant colors, his exploration of social issues, and his collaboration with actors like Washington, Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, and John David Washington.
A Collection of Sports Jerseys
The exhibition also highlights Lee’s passion for sports, especially basketball and baseball. Lee is a die-hard fan of the New York Knicks and the New York Yankees, and he often wears their jerseys in public and in his films. The exhibition features a collection of sports jerseys that Lee has worn or collected over the years, including some signed by famous athletes like Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, Derek Jeter, and Jackie Robinson. The jerseys reflect Lee’s admiration for sports heroes, his involvement in sports documentaries, and his influence on sports culture.
A Tribute to Brooklyn
The exhibition pays tribute to Lee’s hometown of Brooklyn, where he was born and raised and where he has set many of his films. The exhibition showcases memorabilia from Lee’s production company, 40 Acres and a Mule Filmworks, which is based in Brooklyn and named after a promise made to freed slaves after the Civil War. The exhibition also features behind-the-scenes footage from Lee’s films, such as interviews, rehearsals, location scouting, and editing. The footage reveals Lee’s creative process, his relationship with his actors and crew, and his vision for portraying Brooklyn as a vibrant and diverse community.
A Spike Lee Joint
The exhibition is curated by Ashley Clark, the senior programmer of cinema at BAM (Brooklyn Academy of Music), who has worked with Lee on several occasions. Clark said that he wanted to create an exhibition that would celebrate Lee’s legacy as a filmmaker and as a cultural icon. He said that he chose the title “Spike Lee: Do the Right Thing” because it is one of Lee’s most famous films and because it reflects Lee’s motto for making films that are honest, provocative, and impactful. He also said that he wanted to use the term “a Spike Lee Joint” to describe the exhibition, because it is how Lee signs off his films and because it implies a sense of collaboration, creativity, and community.
The exhibition will run from October 5 to January 7 at the Brooklyn Museum. It is part of a larger series of events that celebrate Lee’s work, including screenings of his films at BAM and discussions with Lee and his collaborators at various venues.
