Angry marks

I went to the Kara Walker show at the Whitney on Friday. Now I know what an angry mark can feel like. I had questions about how one can recognize angry marks, empathetic marks, still marks...it was pretty apparent that Kara Walker has learned how to channel her rage and anger into amazingly powerful work.

The show was curated really well. It inspired me to be less afraid as an artist. Again, to use one's pain and trauma as a propellor, even the trauma of the past before one was born (or using what one was born into). There was all her PROCESS work which made her more finished and presented work make so much more sense!! Loads of drawings, small and large alike, and text pieces on index cards which were so simple and so powerful. Strength in the confrontation. Certainly not a subtle show at all. Loads and loads of work!

I went with my partner, a colleague and some of her high school students from the Bronx. We were all blown away, I can imagine for very different reasons. The students made some astute observations, comparing Kara Walker to other contemporary musical artists who channel their anger into their work ("but better!")...I was impressed by the clarity of the images and was taken by how crazy and wacky her drawings are. She's really intense. Excellent draftswoman.

I would like to go again.