Victoria Miro is delighted to present the first of two exhibitions at the gallery this autumn by the celebrated American artist Kara Walker.
Often provocative and humorous, Kara Walker's work explores the tensions and power
Drawing from art historical and literary sources, Walker creates and deconstructs scenarios that expose biases and prejudices,exploring the power struggles underlying personal and political relationships. Her work proposes alternative mythologies,
For her first exhibition with Victoria Miro, Walker is producing a new body of work made with the gallery’s unique spaces in mind. In Go to Hell or Atlanta, Whichever Comes First Walker has drawn inspiration from the southern American city where she spent her teenage years. The
The mountain and the park that bears its name have had a chequered history. In 1915 Stone Mountain was declared the spiritual home of the Ku Klux Klan; more recently it has become a theme park with a wild west train ride and popular laser shows. Walker’s work draws on the layered histories and associations of the site.
The Atlanta works will be complemented by Four Idioms on Negro Art, which addresses forms of representation that have a stereotypical association with ‘low’ art: Folk Art,
In a sketch outlining her conception of this body of work, Walker sets up the Idioms in contradiction to Four Desires: ConceptualArt Practice, Fine Art, Technical Mastery and Mind Boggling Scale, and suggests a parodic dichotomy between the form and intention of art based on gender, class, education and skill.
A publication accompanies the exhibition featuring a conversation between Kara Walker and Ari Marcopoulos and a text by James Hannaham.
In November Victoria Miro Mayfair, will present a selection of preparatory drawings,
Press release courtesy Victoria Miro.
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