3 posts tagged “artist”

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“You have to engage in her work. She doesn’t give you anything,” Liza says, “She has a way to empower you with the oppressive.”

I’m sure you’re familiar with Plato’s Allegory of the Cave.  The Whitney exhibition of Kara Walker’s work was a similar journey through the shadows that have shaped the perception of the Black Woman in society. Inspired by the erotic literature of the nineteenth century she discovered while working at a bookstore in Stone Mountain, Georgia as a teenager – Walker’s work is a visual assault on the simplicity of southern culture and history. 

The woman is a genius, not to mention she’s a Macarthur fellow.

“How many times have you heard a black woman say [Kara Walker] is angry? She’s not angry. She has a white husband, a little mixed child, and they live the perfect modern Brooklyn life.” Well said.

I’m still crafting my thoughts on some of her work. If you have a chance to catch this exhibit, check it out … if you can, go see it with a black woman or two (it’ll make for a more valuable experience).

“Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love.” Through Feb. 3 @ The Whitney , NYC