Kara Walker
American (born November 26, 1969 in Stockton, California)
- Atlanta College of Art -BA 1991, Rhode Island School of Design -MFA 1994
-Larry Walker her father is an educated artist and professor
-Walker learned to love art watching her father draw in his garage studio.
-She was 2 1/2-3 years old when she decided to become an artist.
-Walker is known for her room-size silhouettes addressing the horror and violence of slavery and racism. She emphasizes the reality of the experiences being sent throughout history and how easy it is to commit atrocities. The images are based on 19th century stereotypes and part of her own hand designs. "Backhanded cycle at bay..." Her art indicates that slavery and the horror is still alive enough for someone like her to make art about it.
Carole Caroompas
American (born November 14, 1946, Oregon City, OR)
MFA University of Southern California, 1971, BA, California State University, Fullerton, l968
-As an English major in her early college career, Caroompas' paintings and drawings are influenced by literature. Caroompas discusses her work as belonging to the "Post-Modern Nostalgic" movement. The images in her work consist of personal experiences, family imagery, and "baby-boomer" imageries such as 1960's comedian, (political crusader for free speech), Lenny Bruce.
-The lace component in her current work creates an additional layer in her work. The lace provides openings into the past as well as shadows of memory. The paintings and drawings also include commentary on human sexuality, women's rights, gay rights, and the manipulation of our psyche by television and the movies.
-The text found on the drawings is also an influence of her love of literature and poetry and music.
Uncle Lenny-Gay Men
Uncle Lenny and Lesbians
close up of Uncle Lenny and Lesbians
Uncle Lenny Stand up close up
"I won't say ours was a tough school, but we had our own coroner. We used to write essays like: What I'm going to be if I grow up." Lenny Bruce
"A lot of people say to me, "Why did you kill Christ? I dunno, it was one of those parties, got out of hand, you know." Lenny Bruce
"If Jesus had been killed twenty years ago, Catholic school children would be wearing little electric chairs around their necks instead of crosses. Lenny Bruce
Carole Caroompas and Sandra Vista at Caroompas' solo exhibition at Western Projects 2007
Carole Caroompas record album cover
1. How does the smoke in front of Caroompas' portrait compare with lace surrounding the witch, (Endora from "Bewitched" TV show)in Uncle Lenny and the Lesbians? (What does it mean when the word "dike is in the vernacular"? (vernacular-part of everyday language)
2. Kara Walker states that her style of artwork is evidence of the horrors and atrocities of slavery and racism. Discuss what you think she means by this statement. How does the silhouette of the person with head manacle reflect her thesis.
3. Why do you think that Walker and Caroompas use black paper as their primary drawing surface? (think about what "nostalgia" looks like to them-nostalgia by definition means yearning for the return of past circumstances, events-something that evokes an emotion, such as a book, movie, painting)
