A Taft Museum of Art exhibition explores perceptions of African American beauty through a survey of commercial and fine art photography over the past 135 years.
“Posing Beauty in African American Culture,” opening Oct. 5, aims to challenge historic views of beauty while sparking discussion about the depictions of race, class and gender in art and pop culture. The exhibit does so by examining more than 100 works of documentary, commercial and fine art photography taken between the 1890s and today.
Featured artists include Charles “Teenie” Harris, Leonard Freed, Anthony Barboza, Carrie Mae Weems, Hank Willis Thomas, Sheila Pree Bright, Renee Cox and Mickalene Thomas.
Below is a description of the collection by the Taft:
“Documentary photographs and portraits of portraits of Black Americans—some famous, some just ordinary citizens—present the public face of African American beauty, while commercial photographs demonstrate how fashion and advertising have constructed beauty standards. Finally, contemporary photographers—some of whom use themselves as a subject—encourage consideration of how images of beauty impact mass culture and individuals.”
The notion of beauty is personal and also relative to time and place. To reflect that reality, the Taft invited seven Greater Cincinnati residents, working in diverse fields, to share their thoughts about beauty as well as their responses to works in the exhibition.
The written responses are on display in a series called “Posing Beauty: Perspectives.”
“We are deeply grateful to these individuals for being willing to share their ideas, emotions, and creativity,” said Tamera Lenz Muente, curator at the Taft.
The organizer of “Posing Beauty in African American Culture” was Curatorial Assistance Traveling Exhibitions. The curator is Deborah Willis, a leading historian on the topic of African American photography and culture.
The exhibition will remain open through Jan. 12. General admission is free for Taft members, active military, youth (17 and under) and FotoFocus Passport holders during the month of October. Otherwise, tickets are $15 for adults; $12 for seniors. Sundays and Mondays are free for everyone.
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