Weems received training in both dance and photography prior to enrolling at the University of California, Berkeley, in the mid-1980s to study folklore. It was during this time that she developed an interest in the observation methods used in the social sciences. In the early 1990s, Weems began incorporating her own persona into her photographic compositions in an intentional effort to evoke a sense of both being within and viewing from outside the work. She has since referred to this recurring figure as an “alter-ego,” a “muse,” and a “witness to history,” representing both the artist and the audience. “As a Black woman, it is crucial that she is engaged with the world around her,” Weems explained, “engaged with history, with seeing, with existing. She is a guide into rarely seen circumstances.”
Using her own image, Weems explores a wide range of topics in her 1990 Kitchen Table Series, which consists of 20 gelatin silver prints and 14 texts on silkscreen panels. She comments on “woman’s subjectivity, woman’s ability to celebrate her body, and the woman’s construction of herself and her own image.” Throughout the series, Weems, or rather her protagonist, is depicted in the same intimate domestic interior. The photographs feature a wooden table illuminated by an overhead light, and include scenes such as Untitled (Man smoking) and Untitled (Woman and Daughter with Makeup), in which the protagonist interacts with a variety of characters (friends, children, lovers) and objects (posters, books, playing cards, and a birdcage). In Untitled (Woman and Daughter with Makeup), for example, the woman and a young girl sit at the table, gazing into mirrors as they apply lipstick in parallel motions. The photograph highlights the notion that gender is a learned behavior, while also centering its Black female subjects with tenderness.
www.ftn-books.com has currently several titles on Weems available en highly recommend her Basel exhibition which is currently on show.
