You Look Beautiful Like That
dal 27/6/2003 al 31/8/2003
Segnalato da
27/6/2003
You Look Beautiful Like That
Williams College Museum of Art, Williamstown
The exhibition will highlight the work of Keïta and Sidibe', commercial photographers who worked in Bamako, Mali, from the 1940s to the 1970s
The exhibition will highlight the work of Keïta and Sidibe',
commercial photographers who worked in Bamako, Mali, from the 1940s to the
1970s. Since the early 1990s, they have received international recognition
for their remarkable and engaging portraits of members of their local
community.
'The black-and-white photographs in this show are absolutely stunning and
riveting,' says Director Linda Shearer. 'You can't help but be affected by
their bold visual impact and drawn in by their compelling subjects. I am
delighted that our visitors this summer will have the opportunity to
experience this unique expression of contemporary African art.'
Creative Adaptation of Conventional Photography
The title of this exhibition comes from a favorite expression in Bambara,
the language widely spoken in Mali. 'You look beautiful like that' reflects
the photographers' goal of making their subjects look good. The exhibition
features 72 black-and-white images, the bulk of which are modern
enlargements made from the photographers' original negatives. Fourteen of
the pieces are postcards and portraits from the early part of the 20th
century. These images show the portrait conventions used by early European
and African photographers in West Africa and provide a context for the
development of Keïta's and Sidibe's work.
Commercial portrait photography first came to Mali in the 1930s, as it did
to much of the French West African interior. Keïta (born ca. 1921) was one
of the first African photographers to work in Bamako, beginning in the
1940s. Although connected to conventions of studio portraiture, his
mesmerizing portraits convey a unique expressive style that both confirms
his clients' status within the community and reflects their desire to be
seen as cosmopolitan. Sidibe' (born ca. 1935) adapted that expressive style
for a new generation. As portrait conventions and societal roles became more
flexible in the 1960s and 1970s, the subjects of his photographs took a more
active, often theatrical, role in constructing their self-images. Although
the names and professions of many of the sitters have been lost, their
identities, aspirations, and fantasies are communicated through clothing,
accessories, props, and poses. Together, the resulting body of work forms a
remarkable social document and unique record of a community undergoing
considerable social change.
Curator to Give a Gallery Talk
You Look Beautiful Like That: The Portrait Photographs of Seydou Keïta and
Malick Sidibé has been organized by Michelle Lamuniere at the Fogg Art
Museum, Harvard University. Lamunière will give a gallery talk on Saturday,
August 16, 2003 at 3 p.m. A 116-page catalogue published by the Harvard
University Art Museums and distributed by Yale University Press accompanies
the exhibition.
Tuesday through Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and on Sunday from 1 to 5 p.m.
Williams College Museum of Art
15 Lawrence Hall Drive, Suite 2
Williamstown MA 01267
Tel. 413.597.3178