Published on the occasion of an exhibition of the same name at the Meccanique du Park des Ateliers, Luma Arles, Parc des Ateliers, Arles, May 26-December 30, 2023. Includes bibliographical references.
Contents:
About the artist Conversation with Carrie Mae Weems / Thomas J. Lax -- Specters of history / Huey Copeland -- Cycloprama the shape of things : a video in seven parts -- Carrie Mae Weem's convenings / Thomas J. Lax -- List of illustrations -- About the artist
Summary:
Carrie Mae Weems has often confronted the uncomfortable truths of racism and race relations over the course of her nearly 40-year career. In The Shape of Things she focuses her unflinching gaze at what she describes as the circuslike quality of contemporary American political life. For this new work, Weems created a seven-part film projected onto a Cyclorama - a panoramic-style cylindrical screen that dates to the 19th century - where she addresses the turmoil of current events in the United States and the 'long march forward.' Drawing on news and TV footage from the civil rights era to today, elements of previous films such as The Madding Crowd (2017) and new film projects that bring us into our tumultuous present, the films in The Shape of Things combine documentary directness with poetic rhythm to create an enveloping experience. The films are narrated by Weems, and the layering of her resonant voice with these images articulates the dangerous mounting resistance to the 'browning of America.' As Weems shows in these powerful works, America is irreversibly changed and changing.
This resource is supported by the Institute of Museum and Library Services under the provisions of the Library Services and Technology Act as administered by State Library of Iowa.