| |
| As an African-American man, I have often been reminded by my female friends and family members of how I tend to use my male privilege to my benefit.
Even the mental images that I have seen and often form have sometimes reflected a sense of gender superiority, manifesting themselves in the way I talk, move and interact with my "sisters."
So, it was an eye-opening, mind-blowing experience to view, along with the director of the Spelman College Museum of Fine Art, Andrea Barnwell Brownlee who also serves as one of the co-curators, along with Karen Comer Lowe, the much ballyhooed exhibition, Undercover: Performing and Transforming Black Female Identities on the grounds of the historic black college campus.
The original exhibition, which runs through December 5th, examines the social implications of race, gender and disguise and considers
|
the complicated practices of Black women disguising themselves as well as the historic trend of others camouflaging themselves as Black women.
This wonderful collection of art is presented in three sections - disguise, fragmentation and adornment - and includes more than 75 works represented in a variety of mediums: painting, photography, sculpture, video and works on paper that were all created from 1926 to today.
"One of the first things you see is a photograph of the daughter of Elijah Muhammad, as envisioned by the great Gordon Parks," Brownlee said. "It's clear in the photograph that she is committed to a life of piety and is seen as part of a collective of same-minded women.
But looking closer we also see the range of definitions and disguises that women have often assumed."
|
| |
 |
| |
The photograph is illustrative of what awaits as one enters the exhibition hall - the "masks, mascara and masquerade" that have historically intersected in the female persona. According to Brownlee, artists have particularly presented their female subjects in less than favorable images. Perhaps that's what this exhibit is all about - facing those images and asking how they impact our own psyches.
"Women in society have often been judged harsher than men and more critically, especially by artists," she said. "We continue to be the subjects of comedy and that can prove detrimental to women and men alike. I look at Flip Wilson's Geraldine character and now Tyler Perry's Madea as examples.
The factors that have made both men famous and the images they portray need to be talked about. The question that arises is who benefits more from both men going undercover in that way."
One of the things that will immediately capture the attention of one with a discerning eye is the layout of the exhibit. Brownlee remarked that she and her colleague knew from the start that they wanted to divide the works into three sections and that they wanted to present works by emerging, mid-career and established artists.
|
But as the pieces arrived and the two women unpacked the crates, they realized they had something very special on their hands - and a tremendous opportunity to educate others.
"Our image of how we would present the works went out the window when we had everything in front of us," she said. "It was like Christmas Day. You have to understand that this is an original show - none of these pieces have ever been seen together. When we realized the treasures we had I guess that's when the curatorial process began."
The works on display will undoubtedly lead the viewer to consider a host of questions, like Nick Cave's Sound Suit (mixed media), an actual costume that is worn by women in many countries during regional celebrations. Seen as a representative of androgynous form it begs the questions who is in disguise and who's really hiding.
"Cave's costume is one of our contextual works and it also makes noises as the wearer moves about," Brownlee said. "He is a dancer himself and understands the importance of movement but what really adds to the mystery is that once the costume is put on you are unable to tell whether the person behind the mask is a man or a woman."
|
| |
 |
| |
Another fascinating contribution is Lorna Simpson's Wigs II (serigraph of 54 panels with 19 felt text panels) which has no bodies and is all just wigs. The work is especially interesting given the current love affair that women seem to have with weaves, extensions and - wigs.
"Her early works were all female models but now what she is considering are issues of perception," Brownlee added. "When a woman puts on a wig, who does she become? Can she really be seen or not? These are fascinating questions to explore."
As our tour continued, several students from the Atlanta University Center began to trickle in, taking notes for classes or viewing the works for their own personal pleasure. Most were young women, presumably enrolled at Spelman and it was apparent that the exhibition was of great interest to them.
"How we present ourselves in the public's eye often impacts how we are treated by others," Brownlee said. "We hope that by our students seeing these works, they will feel more comfortable in addressing issues like race, gender and sexuality. I believe that the art will move them to critique, challenge, contradict, question and protest the whole notion of privilege - white privilege and male privilege.
We want to arm young women so that they can talk about the number of ways that Black women represent themselves and are represented by other people. These responses have consequences and they are important for us to discuss."
|
Undercover includes works by well-known artists including Lorraine O'Grady, Cindy Sherman, Lorna Simpson, Doris Ulmann and James VanDerZee. But the works of other artists newer in their careers, like Renee Cox, Magdalene Odundo and Kalup Linzy are also shown.
One South African woman, Nandipha Mntambo, features herself in her photography in unconventional forms that are sure to challenge notions of female identity. And with her work being represented by the Stevenson Gallery in Cape Town, one of South Africa's most highly-regarded institutions, she is quickly becoming an international sensation.
"Her Europa (archival ink on cotton rag paper) takes on the cornerstone of Greek mythology by assuming the role of Europa the Bull," Brownlee said. "She disrupts the story and challenges what it means to be male and the whole notion of masculine prowess. In the piece she literally transforms herself and it is just incredible. What a way to talk about disguise."
This writer was especially moved by the works of the American artist Lyle Ashton Harris and highly recommends his Blue series and The American Series for those up for a real jolt to the senses. Dressed in drag and with a blond wig and makeup in his fascinating triptych (three-piece work) Miss America, he not only challenges conventional notions of beauty but takes on the relevance of and the need to continue the whole Miss America pageant.
|
| |
|
For those who prefer more interactive forms of art and expression, Linzy's video presentations, Chewing Gum and Dirty Trade from his SweetBerry Sonnet (2008) are provocative, stimulating and at times, risqué. While this writer could certainly say more, my advice is for you to see them for yourselves.
In contemporary society, we often relate going undercover to the work of police officers and spies but in this venue the artists consider it as a strategy in their efforts to "debunk cultural traditions, confront or reinforce stereotypes, explore fetishes and challenge sociocultural norms."
|
Feast your eyes on Undercover - you will not be disappointed.
A closing reception will be held on Thursday, Dec. 10th at 6:30 p.m. For more information about the exhibition and other events, go to Spelman Museum
|
| |
|
|
| |
|
