Access Type
Open Access Thesis
Date of Award
January 2024
Degree Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.A.
Department
Art and Art History
First Advisor
Samantha Noel
Second Advisor
Margaret Frankllin
Abstract
In this thesis, the work and lives of seven Black American women artists who created artwork in the twentieth century are explored to discover how they have used their work to represent Black women in America. Using four critical concepts: Double Consciousness, First, Second, and Third Wave Feminism, Black Feminist Thought, and Intersectionality, several critical questions are answered in order to discover the historical and social context in which they worked and how this affected their ability to reflect the lives, struggles, hopes, and identities of themselves and other Black women. Using the word re-presenting as a signifier of how Black women have been previously represented by the dominant society, it is determined that these women chose to re-present themselves differently than those with no personal knowledge of their lives or experiences. The artists used for this analysis are Carrie Mae Weems, Meta Warrick Fuller, Elizabeth Catlett, Faith Ringgold, Emma Amos, Betye Saar, and Kara Walker.
Recommended Citation
Vermette, Diane Carol, "The Art Of Re-Presenting : Power And Agency For Black Women Amid Trauma, Oppression And Everyday Life" (2024). Wayne State University Theses. 949.
https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/oa_theses/949