- Kara Walker -

Shadow portraits: Popular in society circles from the 1800's to the early 1900's.

Kara Walker's work:

Using the appeal of attractive gentile art to make broader social commentary, particularly in regard to race, violence, history and sexuality.

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https://video.link/w/tyBod

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Biographical info:

• Born in California, moved to Georgia at age thirteen.  

• Got her BFA and MFA; was the youngest person to receive the MacArthur Foundation's "genius" grant.

• Currently lives in New York and is a professor of visual arts.

Technique:

• Black paper on wall

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• Sketches in white

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• Research

• Exacto paper cuts

• Wax coating to backside

• Rubbed onto gallery walls

• Peeled off for removal

• Light projections

"A lot of my work has been about the unexpected. Wanting to be the heroine, and yet, wanting to kill the heroine at the same time." 

"Most of the pieces have to do with exchanges of power--attempts to steal power away from others."

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Motivations:

• Cloaking complexities in beauty

"The silhouette lends itself to an avoidance of the subject--not being able to look at it directly. "

• Exploring darker elements of society

Critics:

"I felt the work of Kara Walker was sort of revolting and negative and a form of betrayal to the slaves, particularly women and children; that it was basically for the amusement and the investment of the white art establishment."

--Betye Saar, African American artist.

"Walker consciously or unconsciously seems to be catering to the bestial fantasies about blacks created by white supremacy and racism."

--Howardena Pindell, African American artist.

Sources:

The Art of Kara Walker

http://learn.walkerart.org/karawalker?n=Main.HomePage

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PBS Documentary ART:21

http://video.pbs.org/video/1237715781

Culture Shock: You Decide

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/cultureshock/provocations/kara/3.html

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Shades and Shadow Pictures

http://cool.conservation-us.org/coolaic/sg/bpg/annual/v18/bp18-07.html