In a society where the white male dominates mass media, the voices of black women artists are vitally important to providing a realistic and personal portrayal of what it means to be African-American and female in American society. The exhibit "African/American," showing at the Bayly Art museum through March 12, is one such collection of their voices.
The exhibit features work by five artists: Adrian Piper, Alison Saar, Lorna Simpson, Kara Walker and Carrie Mae Weems. The name of the exhibit, "African/American," seems odd at first in lieu of the way these words are usually put together (African-American). It comes from the title of a piece by Walker that appears as a central part of the show. The piece depicts a silhouette of a black woman falling through white space with her arms in a defensive position. She seems to ward off some sort of violation, some offense from the white space of her surroundings. The woman is dressed in the stereotypical manner of the African slave woman.
Walker often is known for employing stereotypical imagery to emphasize and confront the perceptions of black women that pervade the American consciousness. The picture seems to portray the violation and confusion felt by the African woman as she is heaved into the foreign American world.
Walker's piece is interesting because in some ways it exemplifies the historical feel of many of the pieces showcased in the exhibit. At first, the viewer is tempted to place the situation in the past and therefore question its relevance to contemporary America, but the graphic works in the exhibit cannot be seen simply as historical documents.
For example, the piece "Untitled" depicts a print of piano pedals juxtaposed with a photo of women's high heels. --> isn't this a contradiction? The "ergonomic" shape of the pedals almost exactly mimics the empty space between the heel and toe of the shoes. In other words, the pedals weren't made to fit those shoes. This image -- like many of the other works -- speaks of the standards of conduct that were, and to some extent, still are expected of women. It's unlikely that anyone would say that women today shouldn't be pianists or composers, but there are still positions in America today that are designed not to "fit" women.
One of the most esoteric pieces in the show is perhaps the Lorna Simpson piece "III," which is located in the center of the gallery. Under glass, as if it were a priceless object, is a box marked "three wishes" and inside are three wishbones neatly laid out like jewels. The piece has no caption and no identifiable historical meaning, but the concept seems universal to all five artists featured in the exhibit. It is interesting to wonder for what each artist would use the wishes. Would they wish for a more egalitarian American society? Would they wish they didn't have to confront the stereotypes with which they are burdened? Or would they leave it all the same?
While Simpson's artwork has a message universal to the state of contemporary women, Carrie Mae Weems' art speaks to the general experience of growing up black in America. Her untitled print of an old silver and black coffeepot recalls a childhood memory, according to a passage on the print. Like many pieces in the exhibit, it includes a passage that narrates the memory or statement about the memory that the picture is meant to convey.
The passage about Weems' piece tells of her childhood love for the aroma of coffee, and how her black parents seemed to resemble the "white folks on TV." However, when she asks for a taste, her parents say, "Ya don't need coffee, coffee'll make ya black." In the same way that some mothers tell their young children that coffee will stunt their growth, these black parents tell their child that coffee will make you black -- as if being black was a type of stunted growth. Although at some level the comment was made in jest, it also testifies to the stigma that others -- as well as black people -- sometimes attach to being a black person in America. What is interesting about the photograph is that it seems to be an ode to the coffeepot: the steel of the pot shining like sterling silver against the solid black bottom and handle. It is clear that despite the warning of her parents, the coffeepot is at once a symbol of both blackness and of beauty. This seems to point to Weems' own feelings on being a black person. Perhaps she has come to see a perceived stigma as a beautiful blessing.
While the captions that accompany the pieces are more confusing than helpful at times, the information they provide is key in understanding the standpoint of the artists. Although the interpretations put forth in the captions may not speak to the viewers, they encourage a deeper understanding of what makes these images important to the identity of each artist. The artwork also is laid out in a pattern that is conducive to seeing similarities and differences between the voices of the artists.
Despite the fact that the imagery depicted by many of these artists testifies to the burdens of being a black woman in America, it also shows the type of release that can be achieved through the direct confrontations of these burdens through art.
The pieces displayed in "African/American" tell a tale of women who will not allow stereotypes to dehumanize or define them. Instead, these artists attack the stereotypes and feed off of them. By remaining strong in the face of racism and sexism, they finally can speak as the voices of modern black women.
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