Kara Walker

Kara Walker, born 1969 in California is an African American artist who explores gender, race and identity in her work. Walker's work has been all across America in exhibitions such as Johannesburg, Chicago, New York, San Francisco and more.

Kara Walker moved to the south at the age of 13 when her father got a job at Georgia State University. Walker first got noticed for her mural in 1994 with the art piece called: “Gone, An Historical Romance of a Civil War as It Occurred between the Dusky Thighs of One Young Negress and Her Heart.” Her unique cut-paper silhouette, presenting an old-timey south filled with sex and slavery was an instantaneous success. Walker now currently lives in New York, where she is a professor of visual arts at Columbia University. One of her influences includes Andy Warhol, with his omnivorous eye and moral distance.

In my opinion, I think this work is about forgiveness and peace because I relate to this as slavery as white people in-slaved the black people and in this picture you can clearly see a young black girl and a middle-aged white man shown by the features of the two people and the way they’re dressed. The reason why I think it’s about forgiveness and peace because even though the black people where in-slaved by the white, in this image I think the young girl is trying to help the man as he looks like he has injured himself and the flower that is in the girl’s hand is the key to saving him and maybe he has her other hand on her mouth because she trying to tell her fellow peers not to tell the leader of the tribe. To conclude I also think Kara’s left a moral behind and that is to forgive.

I thought Walker's image was very thought out and whereas other artwork you'd just admire; Walker's work you just dont just admire you think as well because its silhouetted you could think all different things to whats going on in the picture. Shes most recognized her mural of black-cut paper silhouettes.