Undesirability and Her Sisters
Black Women's Visual Work and the Ethics of Representation
By Tiffany E. Barber | Publisher: New York University Press
About the book
How Black women's visual work functions in an era of new racial and gender meaning In the wake of contemporary art's post-Black turn and the mainstreaming of intersectionality, Undesirability and Her Sisters charts a new genealogy of Black women's art that exposes the unfinished project of racial and gender empowerment in the twenty-first century. Tiffany Barber argues that Black women's social positions at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and class are inherently queer, thus spurring unexpected aesthetic strategies that throw into high relief the ethical terrain of what it means to be Black and a woman now. Undesirability and Her Sisters collates what Barber terms \"undesirable\" representations of Black female bodies in recent American sculpture, collage, photography, and dance-based performance art by Kara Walker, Wangechi Mutu, Xaviera Simmons, and Narcissister. These works not only engage the visual senses but also incorporate olfactory, haptic, and sonic experiences that challenge traditional interpretations of Blackness and womanhood in art history, Black Studies, feminist and gender studies, dance and performance studies, and queer studies. Instead of transcendental beauty, wholeness, and individual and collective becoming, the perverse Black female figures profiled here eschew sublimation and synthesis as necessary responses to racial and gender subjugation in the past, present, and future. Through its unique, groundbreaking analysis, this book contributes to the ongoing discussions on the ethics of representation-the capacity to speak and act for oneself, to have significance and impact, and ultimately, to reject acknowledgment.
Editions of Undesirability and Her Sisters
- Paperback
- ISBN 9781479829286
Read an Excerpt
How Black women's visual work functions in an era of new racial and gender meaning In the wake of contemporary art's post-Black turn and the mainstreaming of intersectionality, Undesirability and Her Sisters charts a new genealogy of Black women's art that exposes the unfinished project of racial and gender empowerment in the twenty-first century. Tiffany Barber argues that Black women's social positions at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and class are inherently queer, thus spurring unexpected aesthetic strategies that throw into high relief the ethical terrain of what it means to be Black and a woman now. Undesirability and Her Sisters collates what Barber terms \"undesirable\" representations of Black female bodies in recent American sculpture, collage, photography, and dance-based performance art by Kara Walker, Wangechi Mutu, Xaviera Simmons, and Narcissister. These works not only engage the visual senses but also incorporate olfactory, haptic, and sonic experiences that challenge traditional interpretations of Blackness and womanhood in art history, Black Studies, feminist and gender studies, dance and performance studies, and queer studies. Instead of transcendental beauty, wholeness, and individual and collective becoming, the perverse Black female figures profiled here eschew sublimation and synthesis as necessary responses to racial and gender subjugation in the past, present, and future. Through its unique, groundbreaking analysis, this book contributes to the ongoing discussions on the ethics of representation-the capacity to speak and act for oneself, to have significance and impact, and ultimately, to reject acknowledgment.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Undesirability and Her Sisters about?
How Black women's visual work functions in an era of new racial and gender meaning In the wake of contemporary art's post-Black turn and the mainstreaming of intersectionality, Undesirability and Her Sisters charts a new genealogy of Black women's art that exposes the unfinished project of racial and gender empowerment in the twenty-first century. Tiffany Barber argues that Black women's social positions at the intersection of race, gender, sexuality, and class are inherently queer, thus spurring unexpected aesthetic strategies that throw into high relief the ethical terrain of what it means to be Black and a woman now. Undesirability and Her Sisters collates what Barber terms \"undesirable\" representations of Black female bodies in recent American sculpture, collage, photography, and dance-based performance art by Kara Walker, Wangechi Mutu, Xaviera Simmons, and Narcissister. These works not only engage the visual senses but also incorporate olfactory, haptic, and sonic experiences that challenge traditional interpretations of Blackness and womanhood in art history, Black Studies, feminist and gender studies, dance and performance studies, and queer studies. Instead of transcendental beauty, wholeness, and individual and collective becoming, the perverse Black female figures profiled here eschew sublimation and synthesis as necessary responses to racial and gender subjugation in the past, present, and future. Through its unique, groundbreaking analysis, this book contributes to the ongoing discussions on the ethics of representation-the capacity to speak and act for oneself, to have significance and impact, and ultimately, to reject acknowledgment.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Undesirability and Her Sisters?
The Arts > Performing arts > Theatre studies
Where can I read a sample of Undesirability and Her Sisters?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9781479829286
How long is Undesirability and Her Sisters and how many pages does it have?
Undesirability and Her Sisters has 320 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Undesirability and Her Sisters?
Tiffany E. Barber
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Undesirability and Her Sisters is available as paperback(ISBN 9781479829286)
Where can I buy Undesirability and Her Sisters online or support local independent bookshops?
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Where can I buy Undesirability and Her Sisters?