A Meditation on the Untitled | Kennedi Carter
Kennedi Carter Sweet Lady Val, 2020 Archival Pigment Print 40 x 40 inches. © Kennedi Carter.
Text: Max Wiener
Few artists can capture delicate intimacy quite like Kennedi Carter. Her images have warm auras, serving as metaphorical pies cooling on a windowsill. We feel drawn in by their feeling, and each image has us wanting (and needing) to discover more about the world she’s creating with each exhibition. On the walls of the Rose Gallery, her new series, A Meditation on the Untitled, showcases her mastery behind the lens like never before. This series, however, has Carter relying heavily on self-reflection, showcasing elements of Black selfhood and life in the American South in a euphoric bubble. Her world is, “that which is queer, that which is other, that which is woman, [and] that which is too often colonized.” The series opened on July 22nd and has a hearty run time until September 2nd, giving viewers a lengthy amount of time to experience this stunning work in full detail.
Kennedi Carter Soon As I Get Home I, from East Durham Love, 2019 Archival Pigment Print 30 x 40 inches. © Kennedi Carter.
Carter herself comes from Durham, deep in the heart of North Carolina. Her upbringing, aptly considered Southern, is a clear influence on her work, and she herself has called it her “primary passion.” Meditation is almost a transportational experience, taking us from our solitary worlds and showing us life through a different lens. We experience the world of the subjects, but we do not invade them, merely experiencing it from an invisible interloper's point of view. “Sweet Lady Val” is an obvious choice to support this point, taking us into this vulnerable naked woman’s living room and having us invade her privacy. Upon a closer inspection into “Heat of the Night,” the real crux of this argument beautifully shows Carter’s incredible poise behind the camera. These two people - romantics in heat - are unknowingly opening up their world to us, but not in an invasive way. The way Carter captures the lighting and the mood makes it seem inviting, almost even like we know these people. The reds and greens of the background jump out at us only to bring us closer to the action, opening our eyes to the furthest depths of the photograph. It is perhaps one of the finest works in the entire series.
Kennedi Carter Ridin Sucka Free I, 2019 Archival Pigment Print 40 x 40 inches. © Kennedi Carter.
Kennedi Carter Skye, from East Durham Love, 2018 Archival Pigment Print 18 x 22.5 inches. © Kennedi Carter.
Among the noticeably powerful themes in Meditation is freedom, especially that which is enjoyed by Black Americans in the South. This is a history that is intertwined with all sorts of macabre connotations, but Carter captures such breathtaking beauty and exemption in each photograph. There are no weighty themes in this world, in fact it is quite the opposite; it’s an escape. Her subjects enjoy their worlds without hesitation, inspiring us to let go of our troubles and simply be. It’s a tall order, but with the help of Kennedi Carter, it seems all the more accessible. We leave the gallery feeling warm and coddled, but also inspired. It’s something that few photography galleries can do.
