Being There: Revisiting Tuesday Evenings at the Modern - Kara Walker

Like many things that have defined our schedules and activities, Tuesday Evenings at the Modern must reconfigure. Though disappointed by the abrupt halt to the live program, we are excited to introduce a gathering and discussion alternative online. As a long-running program, Tuesday Evenings has an amazing archive to draw from, and that’s exactly what we intend to do.
Join us as usual on Tuesdays from 7 to 8 pm central time on KZbin. Drinks and snacks are on you, but we will provide thought-provoking content and lively discussion, as usual. Terri Thornton, Curator of Education, will introduce each presentation, with a friendly and stimulating KZbin chat to follow.
This coming Tuesday, March 31, 2020 we look back at the incredibly generous and engaging Sept. 23, 2008 Tuesday Evenings lecture by the artist Kara Walker as she shared work, ideas and processes of that time in conjunction with the oh so memorable exhibition Kara Walker: My Complement, My Enemy, My Oppressor, My Love.

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KUSNER: In your work, is the black experience a universal one? Could other minority groups find that their concerns are addressed? WALKER: My work isn’t about the “black experience.” It’s about challenging perceived notions about how subjectivity is shaped by historical narratives, and undone by individual actions. How might your work in Fort Worth speak to the gay community in particular? That question is probably best answered with a question: Is there only one gay community? While there are many atrocities illustrated in your work, it also contains humor. Perhaps even campy. Are you inspired by gay artists or entertainers? You mean, gay people like James Baldwin or Hilton Als? Pointing to the extreme physical gestures of the figures in your work, they are purposefully intense and offensive. Some might say pornographic. Do you watch erotica? If so, what kind? And what kind do you hate? I do sometimes enjoy the high and low ends of the erotic spectrum. The literary kind is interesting. Not interested in bland cardboard portrayals of sex.