This was a very intellectually generous interview - thank you.
I think we have to be careful with the phenomenon of being asked to see an entire people through this prism, or that. It reminds me of the profound work by Edward Said, Orientalism, were he spoke of the frustration of being seen by the West though the haze of a romanticized version of being Arab in his case, or from the safe distance of thousands of years. It can be argued, that that is the seed that bloomed into the mess in the Mid-East today.
To constantly try and influence how we see and understand black women, through movies, books with language that includes, ‘black magic’ - etc., only helps to obfuscate the situation in the here and now. I really wish black women were not the one’s leading these alternative narratives so prevalent in popular culture today. (I too am a black woman. I don’t need a prelude from anyone.)
What a wonderful exploration of these artists’ process, both in thought and action. Thank you Jenna Wortham. I’ve long been a fan of Lorna Simpson and Amy Sherald’s work and I’m delighted to have discovered Simone Leigh’s work in the last year or so. I commend them on establishing a powerful legacy and envisioning a multiplicity of Blackness for generations to come. Brava!
Imagine having the time to care about art and sculptures, let alone combine it with racial politics. Just watch Netflix, kids.
A close up of Amy's work might do it more justice. As everyone has already said repeatedly. Jealous of Lorna's blue.