Even though a lot of Walker’s works focus on slavery and racial inequality, she also creates art that depicts gender roles and the exchange of power. In one art piece, a young black woman living in the South is in control of the whip, and she takes out her own sexual revenge on her white oppressor. Her art is meant to elicit an emotional reaction and cause viewers to open their eyes to the past struggles of African American men, women and children. While some people may be apprehensive about sharing their opinions about Walker’s work, this is exactly what the artist is trying to achieve. Walker’s productions make viewers stop and look at the art and think about the message behind the piece. Her artwork facilitates dialogue while triggering self-reflection.
What does her artwork say to you? Do you think her artwork is effective in facilitating discussion?
One Comment
Walker’s artwork is very interesting in the sense that it can create such diverse reactions to it. Some people support her and her goal of opening eyes to inequalities. Other people actually see Walker as somewhat of a racist herself in her depictions of races. Her artwork is extremely effective in facilitating discussions over it because of everyone’s different views of her artwork.