
Colored Pictures
Race and Visual Representation
Michael D. Harris(Author)
The University of North Carolina Press
Published on 31. March 2003
Book
Hardback
304 pages
978-0-8078-2760-4 (ISBN)
Article exhausted; check for reprint
Description
In this book, artist and art historian Michael Harris investigates the role of visual representation in the construction of black identities, both real and imagined, in the United States. He focuses particularly on how African American artists have responded to - and even used - stereotypical images in their own works. Harris shows how, during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, racial stereotypes became the dominant mode through which African Americans were represented. These characterizations of blacks formed a substantial part of the foundation of white identity and social power. They also, Harris argues, seeped into African Americans' self-images and undermined their self-esteem. Harris traces black artists' responses to racist imagery across two centuries, from early works by Henry O. Tanner and Archibald J. Motley Jr., in which African Americans are depicted with dignity, to contemporary works by Kara Walker and Michael Ray Charles, in which derogatory images are recycled to controversial effect.
The work of these and other artists - such as John Biggers, Jeff Donaldson, Betye Saar, Juan Logan, and Camille Billops - reflects a wide range of perspectives, Examined together, they offer compelling insight into the profound psychological impact of visual stereotypes on the African American community.
The work of these and other artists - such as John Biggers, Jeff Donaldson, Betye Saar, Juan Logan, and Camille Billops - reflects a wide range of perspectives, Examined together, they offer compelling insight into the profound psychological impact of visual stereotypes on the African American community.
Reviews / Votes
"Harris has written an exceptional book that goes beyond our traditional understanding of racially encoded images. He asks the reader to deconstruct the notion of race and then to see these racially codified images through new eyes. This book needs to be read by anyone interested in African American studies, American studies, media studies, or the visual arts." - Kenneth W. Goings, author of Mammy and Uncle Mose: Black Collectibles and American StereotypingMore details
Edition
New edition
Language
English
Place of publication
Chapel Hill
United States
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Edition type
New edition
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-0-8078-2760-4 (9780807827604)
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Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
New editions

Book
02/2006
The University of North Carolina Press
€69.60
Article is exhausted; no reprint
Person
Michael D. Harris is associate professor of African and African American art history at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. An artist and curator, he is a longtime member of the Chicago-based artists' collective AfriCobra.