| Hair says a lot in a public way about who we are and how we want to be seen.
To this end, the three photographs in Coiffure depict the life-size head and
shoulders of a nonspecific black woman, seen from behind; a detailed close-up
of a woman’s braided hairstyle, wrapped tightly about her head; and the
back of an African mask, hollowed out like a prop in a play. Each is a simple,
iconic presentation, isolated against a black background as in a fashion photo.
The spiraling, intertwined form of braided hair in the center panel echoes the
woman’s own curly hair and the oval shape of the mask.
Lorna Simpson’s art asks us to consider our own identity in relation
to others as well as how people are represented through combinations of photography
and language. Her work explores how meaning evolves from simple signs and how
stereotypes are created or subverted when such signals are interpreted in different
ways. She is a storyteller whose narrative experiments and metaphorical tools
create a sense of participatory wonder. . . .
:: Philip Brookman, Director of Curatorial Affairs
Corcoran Gallery of Art |
Text excerpted from A Capital Collection: Masterworks from
the Corcoran Gallery of Art.
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:: The Curator's Journals Project
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