Image series 45 / 2021: Kara Walker

Drawings of Racism and Violence

4 November 2021 | By: Bettina Pfleging

Start image

The US artist Kara Walker is best known for her huge, panorama-like silhouettes created in the 1990s, which can fill entire rooms. In her art, she deals directly and explicitly with racism, gender, sexuality, violence, she raises questions and almost forces us to confront the issues, our own answers and points of view. In doing so, she makes use of a wide variety of styles.
Over 600 works from Kara Walker’s archives – sketches, charcoal and pastel drawings, notes on index cards, pages from notebooks, filled scrolls, collages, silhouettes, films – invite engagement in the exhibition.

„Kara Walker. A Black Hole Is Everything a Star Longs to Be”
15 October, 2021 until 16 January, 2022, Schirn Kunsthalle Frankfurt
Digitorial

01

Kara Walker. The End of Uncle Tom and the Grand Allegorical Tableau of Eva in Heaven, Detail, 1995, Scherenschnitt, Kleber, Overhead Projektion auf eine Wand, 4,57 × 10,66 m, New York; ConedaKOR Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Kunstgeschichtliches Institut, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

02

Kara Walker. Untitled, Ausschnitt, 1996, Cut paper, watercolour, graphite on canvas; PIXX, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Institut für Kunst und Kunstwissenschaft, Universität Duisburg-Essen

03

Kara Walker. Slavery! Slavery! (Detail), Ausschnitt, 1997, selbstklebende Folie, 360 × 838 cm, Santa Monica; DILPS Bilddatenbank UdK, Universität der Künste Berlin

04

Kara Walker. Freedom a fable …, Ausschnitt, 1997, Laser cut paper, un-numbered, London; PIXX, Universität Duisburg-Essen, Institut für Kunst und Kunstwissenschaft, Universität Duisburg-Essen

05

Kara Walker. Vanishing Act, Ausschnitt, 1997, Aquatinta Radierung, 30 × 23 cm, New York; ConedaKOR Frankfurt, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main, Kunstgeschichtliches Institut, Goethe-Universität Frankfurt am Main

06

Kara Walker. Collage zum Vorhang der Wiener Staatsoper, Ausschnitt, 1998/99, Collage; Diathek online, Universität Trier, Fach Kunstgeschichte

07

Kara Walker. No mere words can Adequately reflect the Remorse this Negrees feels at having been Cast into such a lowly state by her former Masters and so it is with a Humble heart that she brings about their physical Ruin and earthly Demise, Ausschnitt, 1999, Scherenschnitt auf farbige Wand montiert, San Francisco; Diathek online, Universität Trier, Fach Kunstgeschichte

08

Kara Walker. The Treasure Hunters, Ausschnitt, 2007; Digitale Diathek, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen, Institut für Kunstgeschichte, Justus-Liebig-Universität Gießen