Transcript of Audio

Hello, my name is Sylvia Marshall and today I will be talking about Kara Walker’s Resurrection with Patrons. 

Kara Walker created Resurrection with Patrons in 2017. Resurrection is a series of three etchings created with aquatint, spit-bite, sugar-lift, and drypoint on metal plate, and then printed onto woven paper. Agnes Scott College has the 5th edition out of 25 prints.  

Walker did a smaller study of the center panel in 2016 entitled Monumentality. The work was a part of an exhibition called the “Ecstasy of St. Kara”. The exhibition sought to grapple with the questions of race relations in the United States, both past and present. In the exhibition, Walker draws inspiration from contemporary America rather than Southern plantation life as she does in her other works.  Resurrection with Patrons represents a more refined version of the thematic and formal elements seen in Monumentality. In both pieces, Walker speaks to the legacy of America’s struggle of racial violence.

Walker unfolds her narrative across three panels. Two figures, a male and female, act as the patrons. Both are placed in profile, flanking the sides of the center panel on the left and the right. The figures are white against a dark background in a reverse silhouette, a choice that allows Walker to add dimension and detail to the clothing and faces of the patrons. The gray shadows accentuate the prominent brow and enlarged lips and noses of the patrons. The shadows also give shape to the clothing and suggest that these figures are from the Antebellum period.  Evidenced by the style of the jacket and ribbons upon the male figure and the apron and headwrap on the female figure.

 The patrons help to guide the viewer to the main narrative in the middle panel. The positioning of the patrons in profile sets their attention toward the center, their eyes and extended arms providing a guide towards this narrative. In the background of the patron panels, one can see diagonal planks crossing in the background. These planks connect to those framing the center panel and help guide the viewer’s gaze as well. 

The middle panel contains the main narrative of this piece. It is composed of a three-part division of space: the foreground, midground, and the background.   Moving from the planks and further into the foreground reveals natural lines and forms which indicate shrubbery and earth and provides contrasts to the linear lines of the planks that lie along the edges of the panel. The introduction of a white and gray free-flowing form breaks up the darkness in the foreground and mimics water. A connection is created from the intersecting planks along the panel to this flowing form. This rush of water receding into space draws the viewer’s gaze into the midground.

The midground contains the most movement. Figures of Black women, men, and children struggle to raise the figure of a black woman from the ground. Her size and position mark her as the protagonist of the scene. The entire scene is in motion with the smaller figures leaning and contorting themselves around this woman. The pattern of movement is broken by a lone male figure standing on top of a mound to the right of the scene. He stands separated from the group, with a straight spine facing the background while his head tilts towards the action on his left. His stillness signals that his task is done and connects to the stillness seen in the background. 

The background holds the least amount of movement but contains elements that highlight the large female figure. The triangular clouds frame the protagonist in the center. Shadows are cast on the surface of the ocean which points towards her. The sharp vertical peaks rising from the horizon line adds visual interest and gives the viewer a setting for the scene suggests that this narrative is taking place along the coastline,  overlooking a body of water. The peaks in the distance indicating another place just out of reach.

The most striking element of Resurrection is the centrality and importance of the large female figure. Every element across all three panels relate to her in some way. The patrons act as a bridge to her, their stance directing the viewer towards the middle panel–towards her. She towers above the other figures in the center panel, the bodies of the Black men, women, and children contorting themselves around her. The smaller figures on her left connect with her through the lines attached to her neck. The figures on the right relate to her through touch, their hands pushing on the back. The lone male standing on the right side of the center panel connects with her through sight. He faces the ocean in the background, however, his head is turned towards the protagonist. Additionally, she stands as the darkest element across all three panels. Looking closer at the piece, the smaller figures are all off- black whereas the protagonist is a deeper, rich black. Her darkness is emphasized through the triangular clouds in the background which centers her as the focal point of the piece and brings out her darkness through its contrasting black and gray coloring. The lack of movement from the protagonist adds to her distinction. While the figures around her move in some fashion in relation to this figure, no action arising from her and she is mostly being acted upon rather than engaging with those around her. The inclusion of the eye on her profile elevates her from the other figures in Resurrection. It gives her expression and breathes life into her. The eye distinguishes her from an inanimate shrine and directs her gaze outward towards the viewer. The display of the narrative carries a religious connotation and adds greater meaning to the centrality of the female figure. 

Walker unfolds her narrative in the form of a traditional triptych, a style usually associated with the Renaissance and religion. Triptychs were traditionally used for altarpieces to tell biblical stories and relay religious themes. Portraits of those who commissioned the works would commonly be placed along the side of the main narrative. These were usually powerful and wealthy individuals. However, the patrons that Walker gives us do not necessarily fall within that definition, and contrast with the traditional images of wealth and status seen among patrons in traditional triptychs. However, the patrons do create a distinct story.

The female patron reaches forward, the motion indicated by the bend of her elbow and the line of her arm which extends until she nearly touches the edge of her frame. The positioning of the hand and the outstretched arm implies a sense of devotion, or a desire to become a part of the scene. In contrast, the male patron does not reach. Instead, he illuminates. The male holds a lit candle outstretched in front of him, the wax melting in between his fingers. The candle pushes in the direction of the center panel. The candle could be symbolic of prayer, like a votive candle.

Resurrection with Patrons leaves more questions than answers and forces the viewer to question what they are seeing. We are placed into the middle of a story, and the more you look at the piece the more ambiguous the story becomes. There are many different interpretations of  Resurrection with Patrons. The scene could be symbolic of trying to reclaim lost heritage, the struggle of identity among African-Americans, or the piece could be alluding to the centuries of struggle with race in America. In Resurrection with Patrons, Walker challenges the viewer to engage with the broader social and political questions left by the legacy of slavery in the United States.

Thank you

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This photo does not belong to me. It is from the Museum of Fine Art, Houston: https://artsandculture.google.com/asset/resurrection-story-with-patrons/YwG70RlvpAaYoQ

• Three etchings unite to create a triptych bringing with it religious connotations and importance to the middle scene
• Use of profile emphasizes the distinct stereotypical racial features, such as large protruding lips
• The patrons are carved out of a dark space rather than a white space allows Walker to add dimension and their own level of importance
• Patrons themselves serve to highlight the main narrative and the protagonist in the middle etching
• The woman’s hand reaches forward the bending of the elbow in contrast to having the arm completely outstretched seems to imply a desire to be a part of the scene, or an act of devotion.
• The male figure does not reach and instead illuminates the scene.
• Placement of the wooden planks act as a bridge into the scene. The diagonals created  create a sharp dipping angle that opens the scene to the viewer rather than closing it off.
• Pattern of dark wood textured pieces is broken by free-flowing form that is a splash of white and gray
• The slanted lines of the landscape draws viewer’s eye deeper into the canvas while creating 3-dimension through a sense of receding space.
• Etching divided into 3 spaces: the fore-, middle-. and background.
  • Foreground: wooden planks create a sharp dipping angle that opens the scene to the viewer rather than closing it off.
  • Middleground: contains the main action of the piece and houses the central female figure. Almost all figures are in caught is some sort of motion. The pattern departs with the lone male figure on the right. He stands separated with a straight spine, body facing the background with his head tilted towards the female figure. His stillness mimicking that seen in the background, guiding the viewer into the background of the piece.
  • Background: contains the least action, but is still visually interesting and contains elements that highlight the central figure in the middle ground. The triangular clouds and the white space bringing out the deepness of the black used for the larger figure and her features while the shadows cast on the still ocean frame her lower body. The horizon line creating some contrast to the diagonal and curving lines seen in the fore-and middle ground with the use of sharp vertical peaks rising in the distance.
• Using hierarchic scale, the stature of the rising female figure in the middle etching marks her for importance in contrast to the figures around her.
• The female figure has a darker coloring in relation to those around her. The  smaller figures are lighter in nature- off black- whereas the main figure is a deeper black. Nothing else in the piece is as dark in color as the female figure.
• Positioning of clouds and figures around her mark the large figure out for importance. The triangular shape of clouds emphasizes by creating a frame that centers her head as the focal point of the piece and brings out her darkness through the white and grayness of the clouds.
• The smaller figures contort in relation to the large figure, creating triangular areas of flow in which the eyes travels
  • The figures on the left bend until their bodies until they are almost parallel with the ground. The ropes/ lines the figures are grasping creates a connection between them on the ground and the where when viewing either group draws the viewer’s eyes towards the woman.
  • The figures on the woman’s right are connected through her back. They push her upward, their elongated bodies creating another triangular space that constructs a path viewing from the ground to the figures and then upward towards the woman. These paths of viewing create movements, expressed through the tilt of the central figure body and the tilting of the figures that are hoisting her from the ground.
• The inclusion of the eye on the woman gives expression and life to the figure, it distinguishes her from an otherwise inanimate shrine.
• The darkness of the piece, the heavy use of blacks and grays, invites the viewer to take a closer look. From further away the detailing in the smaller figures, such as the overdrawn lips on the child figure, and the background are washed away when compared to viewing the etchings closer.
  • Concept of viewing and the levels of viewing presents itself multiple times in the work of Kara Walker.
  • The idea of viewing a work and taking in how the visual elements work together to create a beautiful aesthetic, and then delving deeper into the actual construction and minute details of each element.

Kara Walker’s Resurrection with Patrons (2017) is composed of inter playing elements of line, color, and form that come together to emphasize the figure of the protagonists in the main scene of the three panels and create depth. Three etchings unite to create a triptych bringing with it religious connotations and importance to the middle scene. The shows a departure from Walker’s distinct silhouette style, but still carries some elements of the style. The figures in the scene are placed in profile, a characteristic of the silhouette style, but lacks the stark black and white contrast. The use of profile emphasizes the distinct features of the characters in the etching and places on the use of stereotypical racial features, such as large protruding lips, that were historically used for black caricatures in the 18th to mid-20th century. Instead of employing the classical style of silhouette where the outline of the figure is in black and placed against a white background—the patrons are outlined in white and carved against a black background. The design choice allowed Walker to add dimension to these two characters using light gray shadows that accentuate their clothing and their exaggerated features while giving the patrons their own level of importance.  Although the action of the piece is not focused on the patrons, the attention to clothing and addition of detail to the body and face give the patrons their own visual stage. At the same time, the patrons themselves serve to highlight the main narrative and the protagonist in the middle etching. The female and male figures face the middle in profile with their arms extended. The positioning of the hands and arms are an important element to note as they add to the story. The woman’s hand reaches forward, the motion implicated by the bend of the elbow and the gray wash of shadow that creates a break between her breast and arm. The bending of the elbow in contrast to having the arm completely outstretched seems to imply a desire to be a part of scene, or an act of devotion. The male figure does not reach and instead illuminates the scene. The illumination suggested by the candle he holds and legitimatized by in color of the wooden planks in his panel. Unlike the planks seen in the first two etchings which are quite dark, the planks in his panel are gray and the detail on them can be seen easier. The candle acting as a bridge into the scene.

Besides the patrons, the placement of the wooden planks act as a bridge into the scene. The diagonals created by the wooden planks create a sharp dipping angle that opens the scene to the viewer rather than closing it off. The pattern of dark wood textured pieces is broken by the introduction of a free-flowing form that stands in contrast to the linear darkness around it with its splash of white and gray. The slanted lines of the landscape aids in drawing the viewer’s eye deeper into the canvas while creating 3-dimension through a sense of receding space. The textured wooden pieces and the placed the white and gray patch produces an invisible line that originates from the angle of the planks to a rush of white and gray which serves as guide to the large female figure and into the middle ground.The middle ground contains the main action of the piece and houses the central female figure. Almost all figures are in caught is some sort of motion. The smaller figures lean in angles that showcase exertion, those to the front pulling while those to the right push. The protagonist herself is situation in a diagonal line that indicates motion and continues this trend of nonlinear line use. The pattern departs when the attention is shifted to the lone male figure on the right. He stands separated with a straight spine, his body facing the background while his head tilting towards the female figure. His stillness mimicking that seen in the background which guides the viewer into the background of the piece. The background contains the least action, but is still visually interesting and contains elements that highlight the central figure in the middle ground. The triangular clouds and the white space bringing out the deepness of the black used for the larger figure and her features while the shadows cast on the still ocean frame her lower body. The horizon line creating some contrast to the diagonal and curving lines seen in the fore-and middle ground with the use of sharp vertical peaks rising in the distance.

Using hierarchic scale, the stature of the rising female figure in the middle etching marks her for importance in contrast to the figures around her.  She towers over the other figures in the etching and has a darker coloring in relation to those around her. Looking closer at the piece, the smaller figures are lighter in nature whereas the main figure is a deeper black. In fact, nothing else in the piece is as dark in color as the female figure-they are off black . Besides scale and coloring, the positioning of the clouds and figures around her mark the large figure out for importance. The triangular shape of clouds emphasizes by creating a frame that centers her head as the focal point of the piece and brings out her darkness through the white and grayness of the clouds.The smaller figures contort in relation to the large figure, creating triangular areas of flow in which the eyes travels. The figures on the left of the woman bend until their bodies are almost parallel with the ground creating a triangular space of emphasis. The ropes/ lines the figures are grasping creates a connection between them on the ground and the where when viewing either group draws the viewer’s eyes towards the woman. The figures on the woman’s right also frame her in a similar fashion through their connection with her back. They push her upward, their elongated bodies creating another triangular space that constructs a path viewing from the ground to the figures and then upward towards the woman. These paths of viewing create movements, expressed through the tilt of the central figure body and the tilting of the figures that are hoisting her from the ground. The inclusion of the eye on the woman gives expression and life to the figure, it distinguishes her from an otherwise inanimate shrine.

The darkness of the piece, the heavy use of blacks and grays, invites the viewer to take a closer look. From further away the detailing in the smaller figures, such as the overdrawn lips on the child figure, and the background are washed away when compared to viewing the etchings closer. The concept of viewing and the levels of viewing presents itself multiple times in the work of Kara Walker. The idea of viewing a work and taking in how the visual elements work together to create a beautiful aesthetic, and then delving deeper into the actual construction and minute details of each element.