Kara Walker at the Whitney
Kara Walker’s traveling retrospective is on view at the Whitney through February 3, 2008.
Titled “My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppresor, My Love,” this comprehensive show should interest those with a passing interest in her work as well as longtime followers of her bracing, unapologetic silhouettes that tackle race and America’s history head-on.
Not yet 40 years old, Walker has enjoyed international acclaim and a fair share of criticism in her young career. After being one of the youngest people to receive a MacArthur “genius” grant in 1997, she encountered backlash from an older generation of artists who found her work racist and “dangerous.” Indeed, her work can confound, disgust, amuse, and dazzle all at once, portraying oppression, sexual violence, and racial caricatures in a way that makes us aware of and ashamed of our own dark prejudices.
“My Complement” comprises her signature silhouettes as well as works on paper, canvas, and several video pieces.
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