Carrie Mae Weems, Three Decades of Photography and Video

So, how do you spend a day off from work? Staying home is tempting. Catching up on a few Netflix series is also ideal. But I decided to stop by one of my favorite places to relax, the Cleveland Museum of Art. To my surprise there was a new photography exhibit by an African-American female photographer, Carrie Mae Weems.

As a long-time admirer of Gordon Parks and his photography, I was instantly drawn to this display. Her approach to storytelling reminded me a lot of his work. So needless to say, I spent a few hours at the museum today.

I think I spent most of my time examining The Kitchen Table Series and developing my own interpretation of what may have been her inspiration behind the photos. Eventually, I even started to make up a storyline for the more “candid” photographs in this series.

Luckily, I did a little research when I got home to find out a bit more. I was really hoping to hear that Weems was planning to or had already filmed a short movie based on the photographs. In the video, she explains the project being the result of “What it means to develop your own voice.” It began as a depiction of the voice of African-American women to a voice for women in general.

at The Cleveland Museum of Art