MoAD Current Exhibitions

Double Exposure: African Americans Before and Behind the Camera

June 19, 2008 – September 28, 2008

Hank Willis Thomas
Smokin’ Joe – “You think you can get me to eat my flapjacks without my Blue Bonnet®? Try it!”
From the series Unbranded, 1978/2006
Lambda print
Courtesy the artist and Charles Guice Contemporary

Double Exposure: African Americans Before and Behind the Camera - A selection of works from the 19th and 20th centuries that are in the collection will highlight African American history, as well as the history of photography itself. Double Exposure will include historical photographs, albums, and cased images from the collection, as well as contemporary art that incorporate historical photographic imagery. The exhibition will present two predominant subject threads—popular culture and historical images of African Americans and the reality of black life as depicted by African Americans themselves. The photo based artworks in the exhibition comment on slavery, the civil rights conflicts of the twentieth century, and contemporary explorations of family, identity, and history.

The contemporary section of Double Exposure will feature late twentieth-century photography, photo-collage, and mixed media. This portion of the show demonstrates the range of artistic possibilities in photography and showcases the strong influence of historical and family photographs on contemporary African American art. Among the techniques represented will be traditional silver prints, Polaroid, and digital prints as well as photographs on linen, wood and felt.

Curriculum that supports this exhibition is available. PDF

This exhibition was organized by The Amistad Center for Art & Culture , Inc., Hartford, Connecticut. Traveling this exhibition is sponsored by Aetna.