Carrie Mae Weems Instagram – Time Magazine – “The Artist as Witness in the Era of Black Lives Matter”
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“My 2021 series Painting the Town was made after a visit to my hometown of Portland, Ore. During the massive demonstrations in reaction to the murder of George Floyd, protesters wrote texts on the panels that shopkeepers had used to board up their windows as a precautionary measure against looting. The authorities then rendered the slogans illegible by covering them with large patches of black, brown, and gray paint. As is often the case, I used these images to explore what it means to be a witness to an ongoing history of violence. At first glance, the photographs resemble abstract paintings, but in fact, they represent the unintended consequence of governmental censorship.
Amid the uprising, I felt glimmers of hope, but these days, with daily decrees dropping from the White House denouncing DEI, I find myself back where I started, asking why Black life doesn’t matter.”
-Carrie Mae Weems | Posted on 07/May/2025 01:11:51
