A Virtual (Re)presentation

"...the vast majority of museum shows and gallery shoes and gallerists are pretty much dominated by men. So having a sense of what women are up to, for me, frankly, is very, very important. - Carrie Mae Weems

Across Internet Walls...

What is the image that crystallizes in your mind if asked to think of a painting you would see within a museum? Perhaps it's a Renaissance painting or a Victorian portrait. If you were to search up "painting in a museum" on the internet, the images that emerge at the top of the page are just what you would imagine: art of white people by white people. In the following exposé, we critique not the artwork, but how it is displayed on the net. Going ahead, I will be examining and commenting on one particular wonderful artist's presence on the internet: Carrie Mae Weems, a photographer extraordinaire who has long fought against the battle of racism and for the visibility of black history through her photography.

CarrieMaeWeems.net: The Homepage

Just as any sufficient essay starts off with, offering context behind a text—or in this case, a person—allows deeper understanding of the writing piece as a whole. Although there is no initial direct introduction of the artist herself when you first open the site, the homepage presents a timeline. Why? As you read through, you not only realize the experiences Weems has lived throughout her childhood and life before photography, but also the momentous events that have shaped Weems career and intentions to capture the beauty and struggles of the black community —especially black women—through the lens of her camera.

Just as eyes are the windows to the soul, so are they also readers of the soul windows of others. As we scroll through the timeline of Carrie Mae Weems, how does the representation of the life of Weems and soul of her art within her website deepen our realization of the importance behind how one's life's work is presented for the public domain to view? 

But in reality, did the timeline serve the purpose it intended in representing Weems' intentions? In my personal perspective, I find that it did not meet what I had first expected, but rather another purpose. Although it covered the many major events within her lifetime, there is little to no background presented behind the events. 

For example, did the Social Studies Collective following her brother's passing in 2001 work in conjunction? Did her marriage to Jeff Hoone have any bearing on the Thoughts on Marriage and The Kitchen Table Series projects a few years following their union? Did the Black Lives Matter movement in 2012 have any major impact on her following collections? The lack of major descriptions within the timeline prompt viewers to draw their attention deeper into the website, pulling them into a vast chamber of information and art that cannot be reflected within the timeline alone. As we delve deeper into her numerous collections, we find the answers to the questions that arise from the timeline and become a small part of a more visible world that Weems builds through her artwork.

But overall, representation of such artworks are placed with the intention to reach a wider audience when museum walls become inaccessible due to distance, cost, or other circumstances. Although it may only reach a limited audience that are avid enjoyers of such art—such as indicated in the positive comments within the Instagram post above—no matter who the audience is, Weems' photos have a striking impact on anyone whose eyes lay to rest on her art. The inducing of curiosity in the deeper context and meanings behind the ambiguous iconography and composition of her art seem to lure viewers in with the intention of having us take the time and effort to understand the messages she hopes us to see. Layers and layers of meaning and context create stories and build worlds out of a single shot, ensuring our understanding of her intentions come slowly, but surely. Because just as @documentarypunk comments in the post above...

"LOOK AT CARRIE MAE WEEMS—AND THEN KEEP ON LOOKING."