5. Kara Walker

Kara Walker is a conceptual silhouette artist.

Walker was born in California and raised through a period of racism and racial stereotyping.

She planned to be an artist from age three, as her father was a painter.

Walker's silhouettes are incredibly large, carved out of single pieces of paper large enough to overtake entire walls.

"At her new high school, Walker recalls, "I was called a 'nigger,' told I looked like a monkey, accused (I didn't know it was an accusation) of being a 'Yankee.'" Walker felt unwelcome, isolated, and expected to conform to a stereotype in a culture that did not seem to fit her." 

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-walker-kara.htm

Content compiled and written by Janet Oh

Edited and revised, with Synopsis and Key Ideas added by Ruth Epstein

Although Walker suffered racial stereotyping, she did not succumb to it - instead, she used it as motivation to create impacting art. Below is an example of her exhibition titled 

The Ecstasy of St. Kara.

 Kara Walker, “Easter Parade in the Old Country” (2016), graphite lumber marker and charcoal on paper, 73 ½ x 313 inches overall, framed

She was heavily criticised for her advances on racism after a series called "Negress Notes (Brown Follies)".

"Saar and other critics expressed concern that the work did little more than perpetuate negative stereotypes, setting the clock back on representations of race in America. Others defended her, applauding Walker's willingness to expose the ridiculousness of these stereotypes, "turning them upside down, spread-eagle and inside out" as political activist and conceptual artist Barbara Kruger put it."

http://www.theartstory.org/artist-walker-kara.htm

Content compiled and written by Janet Oh

Edited and revised, with Synopsis and Key Ideas added by Ruth Epstein

Although I have not personally struggled with any racial issues, I admire Kara Walker's exploration of identity, and her bravery to challenge ideals through art.

I found inspiration in this piece below:

Kara Walker, detail of “Submission” (2016), graphite lumber marker on paper, 153 x 229.9 cm

Kara Walker, detail of “Submission” (2016), graphite lumber marker on paper, 153 x 229.9 cm (RIGHT)

"Submission" is intended to be a self portrait of Kara Walker, a cutaway to reveal her insides, which appears to be a scorched landscape (after a wildfire).

This piece is a merge of her present and past styles.

She is using a silhouette, but also using shaded details and depth.

I am interested in the idea that the landscape is 'trapped' inside the silhouette,

or that it is a true vision of the woman's inner turmoil.

I would like to explore the idea of "inverting" silhouettes, like Kara Walker has done here.

AKA.

trapping details inside the boundaries of a silhouette, and keeping the surrounding areas blank.

"Submission" reminds me directly of Igor Morski's work. See below.

I will explore his work in a separate post.

INSPIRATION:

After presenting this piece (inspired by Pipilotti) to my peers, I was recommended to look into Kara Walker's recent silhouettes due to her storytelling and surrealism using silhouettes.

Kara Walker's silhouettes appear innocent and simplistic on first glance, but looking deeper reveals irregularities and surreal features. For example... Extra limbs, strange encounters, strange stories being told through simple shapes.

Below is one of my favourite examples of her work.

This scene appears innocent on first glance, involving two lovers and a child by a lakeside.

BUT, looking closer, you can see that the woman has no arms, TWO pairs of legs, the child has Devil Horns, and there appears to be a dead body on the right hand side.

I love the multidimensional feel of Walker's work, which is something I would like to explore in my own work.

> See next post for developments and experimentation with Walker's work.