Women's History Month - Featured Artist - Carrie Mae Weems
Untitled (Woman and Daughter with Children), from The Kitchen Table Series, 1990, Carrie Mae Weems
March is Women's History Month, a time to celebrate the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. This month we are celebrating Photographer, Carrie Mae Weems.
Carrie Mae Weems is an American artist and photographer who is best known for her documentary-style photography, which explores themes of race, gender, and identity. Born in Portland, Oregon in 1953, Weems was raised in a large family that valued education and the arts. She attended the California Institute of the Arts in the 1970s and later earned a Master of Fine Arts degree from the University of California, San Diego.
Throughout her career, Weems has used photography, video, and performance to examine the complexities of African American identity and experience. Her work often addresses issues of representation and visibility, challenging viewers to consider the ways in which race and gender shape our perceptions of ourselves and others.
One of Weems' most famous works is the "Kitchen Table Series," a series of photographs that depicts a black woman engaged in everyday activities at her kitchen table. The series was first exhibited in 1990 and has since been recognized as a groundbreaking work of feminist art. Through her depiction of the kitchen table as a site of domesticity and intimacy, Weems challenges traditional notions of femininity and highlights the experiences of black women in particular.
Weems' work has been exhibited at numerous museums and galleries around the world, including the Whitney Museum of American Art, the Museum of Modern Art, and the Guggenheim Museum. She has also been the recipient of numerous awards and honors, including a MacArthur Fellowship and the National Medal of Arts.
I studied Weems’ work in graduate school and remember feeling awestruck and the powerful messages that were portrayed in this simple setting. Enjoy.
Her work was on display through, January 23, 2023, at the Seattle Art Museum.
Images pictured below: Left: The Tragedy of Hiroshima, from the series Constructing History: A Requiem to Mark the Moment, 2008, Carrie Mae Weems. Center: The Edge of Time–Ancient Rome, from the series Roaming, 2006, Carrie Mae Weems. Right: First Self Portrait, 1975, Carrie Mae Weems.
The Tragedy of Hiroshima, 2008
The Edge of Time - Ancient Rome, 2006
First Self Portrait, 1975
“It’s impossible to change the social without changing the personal - you have to put your money where your mouth is. And if you’re not making those challenges at home, it’s unlikely you’ll make them in a larger setting.”
As we celebrate Women's History Month, it is important to recognize and honor the contributions of artists like Carrie Mae Weems, who have used their talent and creativity to raise awareness of important social issues and advance the cause of equality. Through her powerful and thought-provoking work, Weems has inspired countless people to engage with issues of race, gender, and identity and to work towards a more just and inclusive society.
At Jennifer Loomis Photography we are committed to amplifying underrepresented voices through diversity and inclusion. See Jennifer’s work from her Sacred Mother Collection.