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Alanna Ciarlandini, Untitled Inspired by Carrie Mae Weems: The Kitchen Table, 1990 |
"To photograph is to appropriate the thing photographed." - Susan Sontag
Sontag's perspective on photography is focused on how flaws attribute to a photograph's aesthetic build. To truly beautify a piece is to take ownership of its being and savor its image while leaving its imperfections untouched.
"Photographs furnish evidence" -Susan Sontag
Without photography the many identities of people we have grown to learn about whether it be historical figures or long passed family members would only be remembered through personal accounts. However, these passed-on stories would not match the authenticity of a raw image since it is one of the only inventions to truly capsulate a moment in time.
“I think that most work that’s made by Black artists is considered to be about Blackness. Unlike work that’s made by white artists, which is assumed to be universal at its core.”
-Carrie Mae Weems
Although we may be of a different race, come from a different culture, or practice a different religion we all claim to be human. We cry when we are hurt. We laugh when we are enthralled. We may undergo different experiences but in the end, we share what we call humanity.
“So tell me, baby, what do you know about this great big world of ours?” “Not a damn thing sugar,” - Carrie Mae Weems and her lover
The world is a big place and what makes Weems' images unique is that they give a glimpse into the private world that takes place within her kitchen walls. We can never know others' true experiences as they do. Perceiving can only bring you so far compared to knowing and experiencing for yourself.
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