Just to note that the central figure that Smith describes as "rais[ing] his chained hands prayerfully" is the famous icon from Josiah Wedgewood's anti-slavery medallion; the figure is accompanied there by the words, "Am I not a man and a brother?" Walker seems clearly to be making that allusion in that figure.
6
Great profile and great art. I interpreted the subtitle "you must hate black people as much as you hate yourself" not so much as a comment on the etiology of racism as an expression of self-loathing, but another of the artist's subversions of Christology. In this case, ironically associating the racism of white mostly-Christians with their own version of the Golden Rule.
8
Kara Walker's work is fantastic. I saw her show at the Hammer Museum a few years ago, multiple times, and I have one of her books. But the New York Times and everyone else must stop referring to slavery as "the original sin." Genocide came first. Disclaimer: my people, the Wallicks, participated.
5
I'm liking these. A lot.
1
Looking forward to her art depicting the Western African forays into Central Africa to enslave other Africans for sale to the Europeans.
That's the ugly part she ignores. Western Europeans did not foray to find slaves, they were delivered by other Africans who got rich selling humans they rooted out of villages.
That's the ugly part she ignores. Western Europeans did not foray to find slaves, they were delivered by other Africans who got rich selling humans they rooted out of villages.
13
Those Europeans created a larger market-based system than had existed in that part of the world before, one that was international rather than local in scope. They also introduced a kind of chattel slavery that was not present either. The fact that there has been and continues to be other forms of slavery in other parts of the world does not absolve this country of the particular wrongs perpetrated by our "peculiar institution."
12
"Western Europeans did not foray to find slaves, they were delivered by other Africans who got rich selling humans they rooted out of villages."
Perhaps, but these Western Europeans could have not purchased human beings making slaves of them. They had a choice.
Perhaps, but these Western Europeans could have not purchased human beings making slaves of them. They had a choice.
2
You are right that it is an ugly part of history that has been ignored and perhaps even denied as we still keep trying to deny that slavery has always been vicious throughout history. It's just one of the episodes that tell me that we are not a noble species.
1
I wish I could view this exhibition in person. The images in your article are wonderful and terrifying. I'm not an art critic, but I am familiar enough with art to know what is good and what isn't. Ms. Walker's images, in my opinion deserve a long viewing. I hope to see more of her work. Thank you.
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