With seemingly fairy tale-like characters, Walker’s imagery is actually a tool in her quest to reveal the heart-wrenching accounts of African American slaves and their European American owners. Using black cut-outs on top of bare white walls, Walker presents her work, which is strongly debated & discussed, in a way that evokes feelings that I can only surmise as accurate for the previous era. She explores emotions of sexuality, shame, humiliation, degradation, and superiority/inferiority complexes experienced & displayed by both the slave and owner.
In typed-face font, Walker’s Negress Notes of anger, confusion, and shame are displayed along the naked walls of the exhibit. Walker allows you to feel the writers’ frustration and rage from her use of explicit descriptions and blunt language. Secluded in sections of the exhibit are her short films that use shadow puppetry and intricate image detail to convey a snapshot of the sexual & racial perversion that occurred.
Examining Uncle Tom’s Cabin, she presents the characters that introduced society to African American stereotypes.
With images and representations that seem offensive, Walker begs the viewer to think, object, agree, disagree, and discuss. It is evident that her work hits a deep nerve within the African American community.{SEE: the Censorship display- Walker responds to her critics}
Even I must admit..As I left the museum, a sense of anger came over me. The emotion was so rich it compelled me to think and discuss racism and its effects with friends.
My Complement… has been on display at the Walker Art Center in Minneapolis, ARC/Musee d’art moderne de la ville de Paris in France, and (currently) New York. The exhibit will be at the Whitney up until February 3, 2008. After NY, you can catch it LA at the UCLA Hammer Museum.
Peace & Love
Misccindi…out
