On view at the Hunter
Slavery
Various Artists
Kara Elizabeth Walker (b. 1969): Freedom: A Fable, A Curious Interpretation of the Wit of a Negress in Troubled Times with Illustrations, 1997, hand-made book, Collection of the Hunter Museum of American Art, Gift of Cleve Scarbrough, HMAA.1998.1
Slavery: A Continued Legacy Now - April 20, 2014 What is the legacy of slavery? What has been handed down to us in the 150 years since the Emancipation Proclamation and how have artists represented it? When the Hunter Museum re- opened in 2005, we presented a small exhibition focusing on this issue through works by artists of various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Since 2005, we have seen great strides in a nation which now has a biracial president. But we have also seen many hardships and challenges that are deeply embedded in our culture and continue to perplex us. So we now present a second look at this issue through the lens of more contemporary artists, using some works that have been acquired by the museum for our permanent collection in the last few years. Slavery: A Continued Legacy features a selection of works by African American artists who develop this theme, from celebrations of freedom depicted by Jacob Lawrence and Elizabeth Catlett to the searing papercuts of Kara Walker and the enigmatic responses to the long history of prejudice by Lorna Simpson and Carrie Mae Weems. Each artist offers a unique perspective on this complex issue.
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