Over the course of her decades-long career, Carrie Mae Weems has repeatedly demonstrated how adept she is at navigating the human experience. Yet she does so while making her audiences consider uncomfortable questions. Her early photo series “Colored People” consists of black-and-white portraits of African-American children tinted with shades whose names, coined by Weems, double as descriptions of their skin tones—Blue Black Boy and Golden Yella Girl, for example—which historically have played a role in determining the social hierarchies of black communities. The more recent “Museums” project shows the artist, her back to the camera, standing in front of international art museums, drawing attention to notions of power and architecture as well as to the collecting practices of the institutions themselves. These themes and more show up in Ritual and Revolution, a small but powerful installation originally created in 1998, on view now at the Block Museum.
By inserting herself into the piece through her image and her voice, Weems also serves as an observer of past events. She bears witness to a 1963 civil rights demonstration in Birmingham, Alabama; she’s among Hopi women in Arizona. Weems has said that she’s not a political artist, though one can’t help but view her work through that lens. She’s clearly concerned with understanding humanity, exposing our darkest moments, and helping to envision new realities. In an era that feels plagued by defeats, the historical struggles depicted in Ritual and Revolution are a helpful reminder of how much has already been won. v
Through 12/10: Tue-Wed 10 AM-5 PM, Thu-Fri 10 AM-8 PM, Sat-Sun 10 AM-5 PM Northwestern University Block Museum of Art 40 Arts Circle Dr., Evanston 847-491-4000blockmuseum.northwestern.edu Free
