Purging of Monolithic Views

Les Trois Femme Deux

Mickalene Thomas, Les Trois Femmes Deux, 2018 Dye coupler print

Les Trois Femmes Deux:

As a multimedia visual artist, Thomas spotlights principles of her own Black and queer identity in her art, which ranges from collage, film, sculpture, and photography. In Les Trois Femmes Deux, 2018, Thomas illustrates themes of beauty, femininity, and blackness through her bright colors, vivid backgrounds, and powerful, as well as, unique subjects. This piece is second to one photographed by Thomas in 2010, Le déjeuner sur l'herbe: Les Trois Femmes Noires, which also displays three women figures as they both respond to Édouard Manet’s contrevsional 1863 painting, Luncheon in the Grass. Thomas’s work directly embodies ideas and supports of power, intersectionality, and “sense-of-self'' within black people.

Target

Elizabeth Catlett, Target, 1955 Terra-cotta

Target:
Elizabeth Catlett’s Target examines common racial stereotypes associated with Black men and critiques public perceptions of Black identity and masculinity. The man’s empty and direct stare, along with his frontal facing position, is reminiscent of a mug shot and evokes stereotypes of violence and criminality often attached to Black men, making them targets for police surveillance, harassment, and brutality in American society. Alternatively, by crafting the sculpture using life-sized dimensions and employing texture to create a 5 o'clock shadow, Catlett challenges public perceptions of Black male identity and humanizes the figure to convey a sense of equality amongst white men.
Purging of Monolithic Views