Kara Walker Exhibit (Oh, and Mark Bradford)

I chose to see the Mark Bradford and Kara Walker Exhibit at the Sikkema Jenkins & Co. gallery. Kara Walker has such a distinct form of art that the MINUTE I walked into the gallery and saw the paper cut out sculpture, I knew it was her work. I guess I am a little biased when it comes to Walker’s work because I have always enjoyed it and have done many projects at Mason Gross that were influenced by her work. The history and violence that her work embodies gets me to react and invest in her art more so than Bradford’s. I didn’t pay much attention to Bradford’s work because I was so entranced by Walker. I have seen an interview with Kara Walker where she talks about how she creates her work and the process in which she goes through. The knowledge I have about her work makes me appreciate it even more. Although her work seems to be political and racial (which it is) it also includes humor. The wood paper cut outs were great because they were a refreshing step away from her usual black silhouettes. I do however feel that they offer the viewer the same thing that the silhouettes do. Her work is like a chilling childhood storybook. She is original and inspiring. The video was also interesting because I have never seen Kara Walker produce a video, so the experience while watching it was of pure wonderment.