Kara Walker (American, b. 1969) African/American, 1998 Linoleum cut on paper Miami University Art Museum purchase through the Commemorative Fund and by Jeffery L. Horrell, ‘75 and Rodney F. Rose 2004.6
Kara Walker is known for her tableaux of silhouetted bodies
that critique stereotypical Antebellum-era representations of
race, gender and sexuality. African/American presents a woman
floating in space, on display, yet confined to the limits of the
frame. Referencing the frequent objectification and
eroticization of the Black female body, the silhouette’s one-
dimensionality rejects the male gaze by denying the tactility
and detail of the flesh. Walker provides the viewer with visual
cues such as twisted hair, beads, and a raffia skirt. She indicates
no specific heritage, thus exposing the viewer’s reliance on
racial stereotypes to categorize and interpret the image. The
intentionally ambiguous figure at the center of African/
American reveals the power of socially constructed ideas of
gender and race.