85 min listen
Silhouettist Kara Walker on early fame and symbols of Black servitude
FromHelga
ratings:
Length:
50 minutes
Released:
Jan 17, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Description
There are whole histories of African American artists wrestling with stereotypical depictions and minstrelsy - and it seemed worthy anyway to me as an artist to consider them as some kind of artwork.
American painter and silhouettist Kara Walker rose to international acclaim at the age of 28 as one of the youngest-ever recipients of a MacArthur Genius grant. Appearing in exhibitions, museums, and public collections worldwide, Walker’s work wrestles with the ongoing psychological injury caused by the legacy of slavery.
In this episode, Walker shares how she navigates her own inner conflicts, how a curiosity for history led her to the silhouette, and what happens when making use of symbols of Black servitude brings one acclaim.
References:
Buster Browns
RISD - Rhode Island School of Design
My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love
University of the Pacific
Robert Wilson
Einstein on the Beach
Stanley Whitney
Glen Ligon
Kehinde Wiley
Released:
Jan 17, 2023
Format:
Podcast episode
Titles in the series (55)
Studio Museum in Harlem's Thelma Golden: Thelma Golden is the director and chief curator of the Studio Museum in Harlem, an appointee to President Obama's Committee for the Preservation of the White House, and the recipient of the 2016 Audrey Irmas Award for Curatorial Excellence. In this conversation, the first of the second season of our Helga podcast, Golden discusses being taught canon revision with her father growing up, her first memories of seeing the world through art, and the rituals she need to get through the day. "I exist perpetually, but also for me, very beautifully, constantly in motion. And I love that and it's how I think of myself and see myself. So in order to be with myself, I need to find some stillness." -Thelma Golden Subscribe to Helga on iTunes or wherever you get your podcasts, and follow Helga Davis on Facebook. by Helga