Kara Walker uses her unimpeachable artistic skills to create horrific, yet beautiful tableaus. The terror of the black experience in America informs her deeply researched and precisely crafted pieces. Ms. Walker's work acts as a visual counterpoint to the myth making essential to the notion of America.
A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, Ms. Walker's first public art piece tackles the complex and brutal history of sugar production in the Americas. The sculpture, at least 30 feet tall is a mammy/sphinx hybrid, implacable in expression and regal in bearing. The sculpture, made of at least 80 tons of white sugar is housed in the now decommissioned Domino sugar factory in Williamsburg. The sphinx is surrounded by sculptures of black boys cast in molasses and resin carrying baskets. These figures are modeled after subtleties-- sometimes edible, intricately designed food sculptures-- displayed between courses during feasts of the elite in medieval Europe. They were often brightly colored and flavored with the exotic spices from the Near and Far East. Are these subtleties figures the sphynx's acolytes, her protectors, or fellow travelers who toiled and bled in the cane fields?
A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby, will be on display until July 6. The factory will be demolished after the show for the construction of condominiums.
Here is a small slice of the plethora of the commentary, criticism and addenda about the piece online.
Watch a short video about the production of the piece with Ms. Walker
http://www.art21.org/videos/
Kara Walker shares her ideas for the piece on Creative Time, the arts organization sponsoring the show.
http://creativetime.org/
The Washington Post offers a brief history lesson and primer for those interested in the context of the piece.
http://m.washingtonpost.com/
Hilton Als has written a comprehensive review in The New Yorker.
http://m.newyorker.com/online/
