Everyone remembers the past differently. They have their own unique experiences and emotions that shape how they see things and remember events. When we talk about collective histories it's the same thing - the group that is telling the story of history influences what parts of history are discussed. For the most part, American history has been remembered and taught from the perspective of caucasian Europeans, but today, in the 21st century, there are countless historians, educators, researchers, and scholars that strive to challenge and change the way we look at and understand American history, specifically in the context of history as experienced by minorities in our country. One such educator is the artist, Kara Walker. Ms. Walker anchors much of her work in documents reflecting life for African Americans before and after the Civil War. She is best known for her panoramic friezes of cut-paper silhouettes, usually black figures against a white wall, which address the history of American slavery and racism through imagery. The black and white silhouettes confront the realities of history, while also using the stereotypes from the era of slavery to relate to persistent modern-day concerns and working to bridge unfinished folklore in the Antebellum South. Recovering lost histories, and battling the historical erasure that plagues African Americans, by poking holes in our standard descriptions of American history often exposes the humiliating, desperate realities that was life for plantation slaves. The MUSEUM of ANTHROPOLOGY Mizzou North, 2nd Floor 115 Business Loop 70W, Columbia, MO 65203 Tues - Fri, 9am - 4pm; Sat - Sun, 12pm - 4pm SOURCE bySunday CPS EXPLORE To see more artifacts, visit the Museum of Anthropology's online databases: https://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/?q=online-databases Tips for Using the Museum Databases • Log in as a “Guest.” • Enter search terms into one or more fields and click the "Perform Find" button in the status area on the left-hand side of the screen. • Use the book icon in the status area to move from one record to another in the found set. • Click on the magnifying glass icon to return to find mode and perform additional searches. • When finished working with a database, please be sure to click the "Log Out" button in the status area to close your session. The sculpture to the right by Ms. Walker, titled The Bush, Skinny, De-Boning, was made in 2002. It shows three African American women at their daily chores on the plantation. Their work includes gardening chores, caring for a child, and preparing dinner. Walker is not attempting to correct late-19th century depictions of African-Americans but rather uses her art to develop discussions: are these merely images from the past or do these caricatures still resonate in the twenty-first century? The Bush, Skinny, De-Boning Edition No. 19, 2002 by Kara Elizabeth Walker, b. 1969 American Black pigment on stainless steel Museum of Art & Archaeology ID #2017.15 A-D University of Missouri Search: maacollections.missouri.edu
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Everyone remembers the past differently. They have their own unique experiences and emotions that shape how they see things and remember events. When we talk about collective histories it's the same thing - the group that is telling the story of history influences what parts of history are discussed.
For the most part, American history has been remembered and taught from the perspective of caucasian Europeans, but today, in the 21st century, there are countless historians, educators, researchers, and scholars that strive to challenge and change the way we look at and understand American history, specifically in the context of history as experienced by minorities in our country.
One such educator is the artist, Kara Walker. Ms. Walker anchors much of her work in documents reflecting life for African Americans before and after the Civil War. She is best known for her panoramic friezes of cut-paper silhouettes, usually black figures against a white wall, which address the history of American slavery and racism through imagery. The black and white silhouettes confront the realities of history, while also using the stereotypes from the era of slavery to relate to persistent modern-day concerns and working to bridge unfinished folklore in the Antebellum South. Recovering lost histories, and battling the historical erasure that plagues African Americans, by poking holes in our standard descriptions of American history often exposes the humiliating, desperate realities that was life for plantation slaves.
The MUSEUM of ANTHROPOLOGY
Mizzou North, 2nd Floor115 Business Loop 70W, Columbia, MO 65203
Tues - Fri, 9am - 4pm; Sat - Sun, 12pm - 4pm
SOURCEbySunday
CPS
EXPLORETo see more artifacts, visit the Museum of Anthropology's online databases: https://anthromuseum.missouri.edu/?q=online-databases
Tips for Using the Museum Databases• Log in as a “Guest.”• Enter search terms into one or more fields and click the "Perform Find" button in the status area on the left-hand side of the screen.• Use the book icon in the status area to move from one record to another in the found set.• Click on the magnifying glass icon to return to find mode and perform additional searches.• When finished working with a database, please be sure to click the "Log Out" button in the status area to close your session.
The sculpture to the right by Ms. Walker, titled The Bush, Skinny, De-Boning, was made in 2002. It shows three African American women at their daily chores on the plantation. Their work includes gardening chores, caring for a child, and preparing dinner.
Walker is not attempting to correct late-19th century depictions of African-Americans but rather uses her art to develop discussions: are these merely images from the past or do these caricatures still resonate in the twenty-first century?
The Bush, Skinny, De-BoningEdition No. 19, 2002 by Kara Elizabeth Walker, b. 1969 American Black pigment on stainless steel
Museum of Art & Archaeology ID #2017.15 A-DUniversity of MissouriSearch: maacollections.missouri.edu
TeacherResources:
https://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2018/02/04/582468315/why-schools-fail-to-teach-slaverys-hard-history
https://www.tolerance.org/magazine/spring-2017/what-learning-about-slavery-can-teach-us-about-ourselves
https://www.tolerance.org/frameworks/teaching-hard-history/american-slavery
Lesson/Activities:
EXPLORINGRACEANDIDENTITY:CLASSROOMCONNECTIONSTHROUGHTHEARTOFKARAWALKER
BIGIDEAS:
Howcansilhouettenarrativesexploresocialjusticeissueswhilefosteringcollectiveagencythroughself-reflectionandgroupcollaboration?
TheselessonscenterontheworkofartistKaraWalker.Startingwithpersonalmemories,studentscreatelarge-scalesilhouettenarrativesthatspeakaboutimportantexperiences,highlighttheircontributionsasyoungpeopleinanurbancontext,andmanifestfuturepossibilities.
• Understandhowstereotypingshapesnotionsofidentityandcreatesconditionsforsomegroupstooppressothers
• Explorewaysofcreatingwithmeansandmaterialsathand(e.g.ourenvironment,chalk,cellphonecameras,ourbeautifulminds)
• Reflectonthemselvesandtheworldaroundthem
• TakepartinguideddiscussiontoidentifyhowKaraWalkeraddressesissuesofsocialjusticeintheirwork
• AnalyzeselectedworksbyKaraWalkertoanalyzehowartistscommunicateideasthroughtheirchoiceanduseofmaterials
GUIDEDLOOKING
Grades8-12
Show“KeystotheCoop”-KaraWalker
(Inquirybasedteaching:allowingthestudenttousetheirpriorknowledgewhenrespondingtospecificquestionsaskedbytheteacher/artist.)Youcanteachyourwholelessonandcritiquethisway.Thisempowersstudentsandallowsthemtofeeltheyarebringingsomethingtotheclassthatisvaluable.
Buildonstudents’priorknowledgefirstbyaskingstudents:
• Whatdoyousee?• Whatdoyouthinkthechickenandkeysymbolize?• Canyoutellwhichrace/ethnicitythisimageisrepresenting?How/Why?• Howistheimageexaggerated?Visually?• WhymightKaraWalkerchoosetoexaggeratecertaincharacteristicsandfeatures?• Wouldshehavetodothisifthisworkwasapainting/drawingincolorinstead?
Show“Restraint”–KaraWalker
(Inquirybasedteaching:allowingthestudenttousetheirpriorknowledgewhenrespondingtospecificquestionsaskedbytheteacher/artist.)Youcanteachyourwholelessonandcritiquethisway.Thisempowersstudentsandallowsthemtofeeltheyarebringingsomethingtotheclassthatisvaluable.
Buildonstudents’priorknowledgefirstbyaskingstudents:
• Whatdoyousee?
(Possibleanswers:beingwatched,mocked,chained,enslaved)
• Whatdoyouthinkthiswasusedfor?
• Whyisthereabellhanging?
• Whatdoesthisremindyouof?
(Possibleanswers:areminder,adogoranimal,analarm)
• Canyourelatetoeveryfeelingrepresented,alwayswatched,mocked,changed,enslaved?(Physically,mentally,emotionally,spiritually,etc?)
Show“Slavery!Slavery!”–KaraWalker
Buildonstudents’priorknowledgefirstbyaskingstudents:• Whatdoyousee?• Aretheseallindividualworksofart?Orpartofacollective?Whatisaninstallation?Whatdoesitsoundlike?Whathappenswhenartisinstalledinaspecificspace?Whatistheroleoftheviewerwhenviewing?Dotheyalsobecomeapartoftheinstallation?Caninstallationsbeinteractive?Howdoyouthinkthiscanbeinteractive?(Canthink/talkabouthowKarahasusedprojectorsinhergalleriessowhiletheviewerislooking,theirshadowbecomespartoftheinstallation)• Whatdotheseimagesdowhenorganizedtogether?• Doyouseeanarrative?Isstorytellinghappening?Whatcanyoumakeofthestoryormeaning?
Reflection:
• HowwouldtheeffectbedifferentifWalkerpaintedthissceneinsteadofcreatingitfromcut-papersilhouettes?• Whatdoeslookingattheblackcoloredpapersilhouetteallowyoutodo?• Wouldlookingatitincolorbetoo“difficulttoswallow”becauseoftheimages?• WhatwouldhappentotheimageormeaningifKaraWalkerusedwhitepaperinsteadofblackforhersilhouettes?• ManyofKaraWalker’ssilhouettesarecutlargerthanlifesize.Whathappenswhenyouseetheseimagesandthey
arelargerthanyou?• Dotheygrabyourattention?• Wheredowesee“largerthanlife”imagesinsociety?Signs?Billboards?
Showimagesof“RiseUpYeMightyRace”-KaraWalker
•Whathappenstotheimageswhenwhitepaperisusedinsteadofblack?•Whatdoyousee?•WhatdoweknowaboutslaveryintheUnitedStatesofAmerica?•Howdoyouseewhatyouknowreflectedinthework?•Doyouseeanythingnewthatraisesquestions?(*beopentostudentvoices,questions,dialogue*)ExaminingRace,Power,andIdentitythroughDepictionsoftheCivilWar
Grades8-12
KaraWalker,Harper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWar(Annotated):LostMountainatSunrise,offsetlithographyandscreenprint,2005
KaraWalker,Harper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWar(Annotated):Confederate
PrisonersBeingConductedfromJonesborough,offsetlithographyandscreenprint,2005
Gone,AnHistoricalofaCivilWarasitOccurredBetweentheDuskyThighsofOneYoungNegressandHerHeart,paper,1994
Throughtheconstructionofnarrativescenesincorporatingsilhouettes,printmaking,andawritingassignmentbasedonKaraWalker’sartwork,antebellum,andcivilwarliterature,studentswillexamineidentityandraceandhowartistsprocesstheirexperiences.Studentswillredefinehistoricalscenes,explorepotentialmissingelements,andwillincorporatetheirowncharactersintothescenesfromHarper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWarandGonewiththeWindbyMargaretMitchell.
• DemonstrateanunderstandingofracerelationsintheU.S.,focusingonthecivilwareratothepresent.• Exploreissuesofrace,identity,andpowerthroughtheconstructionofanarrativescenereferencingcivilwar
literature.
Materials:Selectedphotocopiesandexcerptsfrom:
o Harper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWar
o GonewiththeWind
Art21video,KaraWalkerinStories:http://www.pbs.org/art21/artists/kara-walker
Steps:
1. Studentswillreadcivilwareraliteratureorlaterworksinspiredbyeventsfromthecivilwar,suchasGonewiththeWind,priortotheartactivityandintroductiontoWalker.
2. TheteacherwillexplaintheinspirationbehindWalker’sartworkandwillshowaclipfromanArt21interviewdocumentingtheartist’sprocess.
3. ShowstudentsexamplesofWalker’sart,suchasHarper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWar(Annotated):LostMountainatSunriseandHarper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWar
(Annotated):ConfederatePrisonersBeingConductedfromJonesborough,andfacilitatethediscussionbyaskingthefollowingopen-endedVTSquestions:
What’sgoingoninthispicture?Whatdoyouseethatmakesyousaythat?Whatmorecanwefind?
4. TeacherwillengagestudentsindiscussionrelatingtohowWalkerdealswithissuesofpower,race,oppression,andidentitythroughherartwork.
5. HavestudentsexaminetheHarper’sPictorialHistoryoftheCivilWarscenes,boththoserecreatedbyWalkerandfromtheoriginal.Askstudentsifanyscenesaremissingfromtheoriginal.HowhasWalkerchangedhistoricalscenesandrewrittenhistory?
7.Studentsmayconductresearchandwillwriteanessayorshortstoryabouttheirnarrativescene.
Grades8-12
• Exploreavarietyofmediaandmaterialsutilizingpainting,mixed-media,andwritingtoconstructaself-portraitfromimaginationandsymbolicimagery.
• Understandwaystocreateapersonalresponseinartworkthroughtheuseofmetaphor.• Knowtherelationshipbetweencreatinganartworkandhowitreflectsself-expressionandtheconsiderationof
personalintention.
KaraWalker,Cut,cutpaperandadhesiveonwall,1998
KaraWalker,cutpaperandadhesiveonwall,1998
KaraWalker,Untitled(Scene#18fromEmancipationApproximationportfolio),1999–2000
1. TheteacherwilldiscusshowWalker’sartworkisinspiredbyliteratureandmythology.
2. StudentswillanalyzeWalker’swork.Whatissignificantaboutcreatingshadowforms?Howdoesoneimbueasenseofidentitywithinasilhouette?
3. Studentswillconstructaself-portraitincorporatingsymbolsandmetaphorsfromtheirpersonalhistories,whichmayincludetheircommunity,family,orpersonalnarrative.Walker’sartstylewillserveasinspiration,butstudentsareencouragedtoexperimentwithavarietyofmediatomimicthesilhouetteform.
4.Assessmentwillincludeanarrativewritingassignmentinwhichthestudentsdescribethepersonalsymbols,imagery,andmetaphorwithintheirartworkandhowitreferencesWalker’sartisticprocess.StudentsshouldbeabletodemonstrateanunderstandingofWalker’stechniquesandmotivation.
(Elementary-HighSchool)
Studentswillexploretheirpersonalhistoriestoconstructnarrativeself-portraitsutilizingstorytellingandmetaphor.StudentswillemployarttechniquesinspiredbyWalker.
LearningObjectives:
Studentsshouldbeableto:
SimpleDetail
Thisactivitylooksathowincludingandexcludingdetailcanleadtostoriesusingsimpleshapesandcutsouts.
Materials:paper,pencil,scissors,blackpaintormarkers
IntheClassroom:
• Provideeachstudentwithapieceofpaper.• Drawapersonoranobjectonthepieceofpaperandcutouttheoutline.• Paintthewholecutoutallblack,coveringanydetailssoallthatisleftisablackshape.• Havestudentslayouttheirsilhouettesontheflooratrandom.• Askeachstudenttoselectsomeoneelse’ssilhouette.• Askeachstudenttodescribewhattheythinkishappeninginthesilhouettetheyareholdingorwhattheythinktheir
shapecouldbe.• LookathowKaraWalkerusesdetailinhersilhouettesandobjectstoshowwhatishappening.Whatdetailscanpupils
seeinKaraWalker’scutouts?(seeimagesattachedatbottomofthishandout,theSbyS,and/orWalker’sworkonline)
• WhatdetailsaremissingfromKaraWalker’scutoutsthatyoucanonlyimagine?• Howcanyouchangeyoursilhouettetogiveitmoredetailontheoutlines?Asagroup,thinkabouthowKaraWalker
hasarrangedhercutoutsonthewall.• Workinsmallgroupstoarrangethesilhouettesandshapestotellastory.• Canotherstudentsguesswhatstoryisbeingtoldwiththeshapesandsilhouettes?Isitdifferentorthesameasthe
onethegroupintended.
(MiddleSchool-HighSchool)
GoingDowninHistory
Thisactivitylooksatvisibilityandinvisibilityintherecordingandtellingofhistory.
Materials:Paperandpens
IntheClassroom
• Askstudentstoraisetheirhandsinanswertothefollowingquestions:• RaiseyourhandifyouhaveheardofBigMamaThornton.(Counttheshowofhands)• RaiseyourhandifyouhaveheardofElvisPresley.(Counttheshowofhands)• Ifanypupilshaveheardofeithername,askthemtotelltheclasswhotheyare.
Asaclass,watchthefollowingclips:
Clip1:http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xlbot_big-mama-thornton-hound-dog_music
Clip2:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lzQ8GDBA8Is
1. BigMamaThornton’sversionofHoundDogwasrecordedin1953,whileElvisPresley’sversionofHoundDogwasrecordedin1956.Whichsingerdoestheclassthinkismorefamous?
2. Whataresomereasonsthatsingershavemorevisibilityandrecognitionthanothers?
Asaclass,lookathowKaraWalkertellsstorieswithhercutoutfigures(useimagesonline,foundatthebottomofthishandout,orintheSbySarticle.
1. Whichcharacterslooklikethemostpowerfulpeople?2. Whichcharacterslooktheleastpowerful?
Imagineyouarewritingorrecordingthesecharacters’experiencestogodowninhistory–howmighttheirversionsofhistorybedifferentfromeachother?
KaraWalker,AuntieWalker’sWallSamplerforCivilians(detail),2013.CourtesyofSikkemaJenkins&Co.,NewYork©KaraWalker
KaraWalker,UrbanRelocator,2011.CourtesyofSikkemaJenkins&Co.,NewYork©KaraWalker
KaraWalker,FallFrumGrace,MissPipi’sBlueTale(filmstill),2011.CourtesyofSikkemaJenkins&Co.,NewYork©KaraWalker
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