Exhibition Review: Black Venus Curated by Aindrea Emelife
Zanele Muholi - 'Miss Lesbian I, Amsterdam, from the series Miss (Black) Lesbian' (2009) © Zanele Muholi, courtesy of Yancey Richardson, New York, and Stevenson, Capetown and Johannesburg
Written by Stella Chu
Curated by Aindrea Emelife, BLACK VENUS examines the centuries-long oppression of Black women and their bodies in the world of visual media.
Spanning works from the 18th century to the present, the exhibition features 19 artists that explore the inherent politicization, fetishization and commodification of Black female bodies.
Sadie Barnette - 'Easy in the Den'. Courtesy of the artist and Jessica Silverman Gallery, San Francisco
Sadie Barnette, artist behind Easy in the Den, amplifies an image of an “Auntie Viv”using rhinestones. In the image, Auntie Viv lies on the couch in the living room designed by Viv herself. Barnette’s exploration into the significance of the living room is a common theme in her works, once stating that it is a place of “hospice, loss, grief, flowers and meals.”
Amber Pinkerton - 'Photo Booth: Sabah, Girls Next Door' (2020). Copyright of the artist and courtesy of Alice Black
Barnette’s connections to the living room have much to do with her father, Rodney Barnette, founder of the Compton chapter of the Black Panther Party. Under heavy FBI investigation, a 500-page file was kept on her father, including family history, birthdates of family members, childhood friends, and interviews with her father’s colleagues and neighbors. The living room, like the rest of her house, could not “escape the gaze of state surveillance.”
Renee Cox - 'Miss Thang (from the series The Discreet Charm of the Bougies)' (2009). Courtesy of the artist
Renee Cox, artist of Miss Thang, explores the relationship between Black women and socioeconomic status. In a world where Black women most often make up the bottom rung of the socioeconomic ladder, Cox depicts Missy, a rich Black woman, relaxing in a hot tub with a cigarette. It’s a rare sight, with the media often opting to portray Black women as overly aggressive, masculine, or hypersexualized.
Renee Cox - 'HOTT-EN-TOT' (1993-1994). Courtesy of the artist
The piece celebrates the achievements of the Black diaspora, combating negative stereotypes and examining certain connotations behind them.
Emelife’s BLACK VENUS explores the history and present of Black women in the public conscious—from racist caricatures, fetishization, and the present-day reclamation of power.
Photo Editing by Lenin Arache
