​She’s A Photographer Who Captures Humanity — Yet So Many View Her Work In Only One Way

I was struck by what this talented visual artist, Carrie Mae Weems, had to say about how her work — which explores African-American identity, class, and culture — is viewed by the world. I love when she talks about getting rid of stereotypes so that humanity, not race, can shine through.


Here are moments she really nails it:

— (0:38) “[F]or the most part, when I’m viewed by the world, I’m viewed only in relationship to my black subjects even though I’m a very complex woman working on many, many different levels.”

— (1:26) “[G]ender is a starting point, race is a starting point, but ultimately the work is really about the complicatedness of monogamy and the relationship of women with their friends and other women and the relationship of women with their children. … [The work] speaks to our deeper humanity.”
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