Kara Walker's Dark Narratives: Drawings and Films on American Violence

In the spring of 2011, Kara Walker showcases new pieces at two galleries in New York. At Sikkema Jenkins & Co., her collection includes thirty black-and-white drawings and seventeen prints that delve into pivotal moments in American history, such as Reconstruction, the Great Migration, the Jazz Age, the Harlem Renaissance, and the Obama era. The intricate drawings, marked by dense lines and erasures, convey a sense of trauma. Notable works include "The moral arc of history ideally bends towards justice..." which nods to Otto Dix's "War," and "Dixie in the Dogwoods," featuring a black man stepping out from darkness. Texts are hand-cut, complicating readability. Walker contrasts Billie Holiday and Nina Simone with her own anxieties, including the assassination of the first black U.S. president. At Lehmann Maupin, she presents three films, including "Fall Frum Grace: Miss Pipi's Blue Tale" and "Muckracking Prophet From The 21st Century Foretells Coming Doom," alongside her performance in "Bad Blues."