At the Metropolitan Museum of Art Nadejda and I chose the photograph
Untitled (Man Smoking)
from the Kitchen Table series by Carrie Mae Weems. She was an American born in 1953 and this photograph was taken in 1990. Right away you are drawn to the bright light source overhead of the couple. This actually brought me to the punctum which is being blurred by the smoke, the photograph of Malcolm X. The smoke is similar to a barrier, trying to hide their situation from Malcolm X. It kind of contradicts in a way. Malcolm X was all about equality for African Americans but here they are only with each other and not whites. This photograph shows that even though Malcolm X risked his life to preach his words on equality it basically had little effect. This couple is in a casual environment where they can just relax and enjoy themselves but that is only happening because there are no outsiders. African Americans stuck together because only they knew what truly happened to them in the past. The damage was done so now they can only be themselves around each other and no one else.
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Blog Post #1 (Due Monday, 9/23)
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Christina Zhu
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