Our fall intern Elise Murphy browsed around in our reference library to find titles that reflect themes or aspects of the exhibition on view. Check out this post for a two books she discovered aligning with La Vaughn Belle’s Swarm series, then come by the galleries to explore the library, and the exhibitions, for yourself!
La Vaughn Belle’s exhibition When the Land Meets the Body explores the link between land and the bodies that live there, and how they affect each other. She includes hidden maps, native plants, and silhouettes of islands, shorelines, and her own body, all with the aim of highlighting their relationship to each other.
Belle does this while weaving in archival history of colonialism, specifically throughout her series Swarm. She utilizes cuts and burns (a method derived from the means enslaved peoples had as a way of defiance and revolution) to methodically place barriers on Dutch archival photographs in order to emphasize colonialism’s impact on her land and people, and dismantle enduring problematic narratives.
In the Spirit: The Photography of Michael P. Smith from The Historic New Orleans Collection in our library displays archival photographs showcasing the history, culture, and people of New Orleans. Though they are not manipulated, like Belle’s archival photographs, they are presented with journal clips, personal anecdotes, and other documents in order to change the perspective of the viewer, and add an extra bit of information that we might not get from the photo alone. It is similar to Swarm, where Belle adds to her chosen photographs, as to modify, or even revise what the viewer might discern and interpret.
Contact Sheet 210: Aaron Turner from Light Work is a compilation of Aaron Turner’s work in photography, collage, and painting. With a deep personal understanding of African American art and history, Turner’s art acknowledges and builds upon his own photography, as well as archival photos that he takes apart and puts back together, creating abstract collages that emphasize history and culture. It is an interesting parallel to Belle’s work, where she puts together bits and pieces of history to create a complete sense of perception, to show that her culture is a result of “piecing together fragments in order to make something new”.