Seeing the unspeakable : the art of Kara Walker
(Book)

Includes bibliographical references (pages 157-186) and index.

"Examining Walker's striking silhouettes, evocative gouache drawings, and dynamic prints, Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw analyzes the inspiration for and reception of four of Walker's pieces: 'The End of Uncle Tom and the Grand Allegorical Tableau of Eva in Heaven, ' 'John Brown, ' 'A Means to an End, ' and 'Cut.' She offers an overview of Walker's life and career, and contextualizes her art within the history of African American visual culture and in relation to the work of contemporary artists ... Shaw describes how Walker deliberately challenges viewers' sensibilities with radically de-sentimentalized images of slavery and racial stereotypes ... By exploiting the racist icons of the past, Walker forces viewers to see the unspeakable aspects of America's racist past and conflicted present"--Back cover.