I had many thoughts on Kris Graves' talk today and of the exhibition generally, but I want to focus now on the shared space that we have with him. What does it mean to juxtapose The Testament Project with African art/ifacts? I think that although we are not curating the space of The Testament Project and have our own space to focus on, I think that we should consider the fact that they occupy the same space. Their messages will inherently be connected by visitors, no? 

In this same vein, what does it do to have M Carey Thomas' massive portrait grimly greet people as they enter this space? And set right next to the radiant portrait of Jessica? Two steps in after that is our exhibition. Just some stuff to keep in mind as we plan. 

i asked kris graves how he stayed true to his subjects -- how he dealt with portraying friends and family. it was a very vague question and i wasn't exactly sure what i was looking for i just knew that i wanted to know more about the way that he photographed people, and the way he told their stories/let them tell their own stories.

Being a white, upper-middle class student at Bryn Mawr is an interesting experience. Though interesting isn’t quite the right word… When I read about the histories of BMC I am horrified at its not-so-distant past of racism and classism, all the while staying aware that even if I were to attend this school 75 years ago I would be welcomed into the community. I would be affirmed by M. Carey Thomas for my whiteness. I am literally the kind of person who this school is made for. Knowing this, and learning about Bryn Mawr’s history through Black at Bryn Mawr is jarring for me. I learn of oppression at the hands of Bryn Mawr and know that BMC’s history of aggressive exclusion is still echoed today.

...like others, i was struck by M. Carey Thomas's presence @ the entrance to the current exhibit in the Rare Book Room.
when i tried to take a photo of her portrait paired with Kris Graves' "Jessica" --

I think what impressed me the most about this project, and just Kris Graves as an artist is his ability to make his work simple. I spoke with him a little bit during our class tour (Thanks Monique + Nyasa!!) and the point that stuck the most that this isn't his day job. He does his work to capture the story, to capture the moment and memory of his loved ones and friends. He told me when artists make art just to sell it, the beauty of it and magic of it becomes complicated. One of the main reasons why I hesitate to share my work or even call myself anything close to an artist is because I'm afraid of getting caught up in the label and brand of it. I appreciated how he didn't do that and clearly showed that he creates his work from a basic standpoint, that it is something he loves to do.

Portraits are interesting in that most time they show us much more about the photographer than the photographed. Even if the portraits are taken within the subjects homes, the artist chooses how to frame the picture, how to light it, where the subject should stand and how they should look. By giving his subjects agency over a small aspect of this production - the color of the lighting - Kris Graves allows us to see them as they want to be seen. We aren't seeing the artist's idea of how their subject should be seen but the subject as they see themselves. Plus the colors are absolutely beautiful.

Here are some of my notes from the lecture... I am still thinking about the desire to show black men as "undangerous..." I am thinking about a study W.E.B Du Bois conducted called "Morals and Manners among Negro Americans"... I am thinking about representation, presentation, character, conduct. I will add more to this in class hopefully.

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"blackness is a relationship with the Bottom" ..... I want to talk about this

I enjoyed listening to Kris Graves speak about his background and his beginnings in photography. In his talk and in his exhibit, I picked up on what I thought were common themes of frankness and gratitude that permeated his words and work. I was given the impression that Graves strives for bluntness and honesty, and I think that this is demonstrated in his demeanor and his photos. He was not afraid to admit who in the art world was an "asshole," or how common it is for museums and galleries to lose money, or that he didn't always know how to interact with subjects ("I didn't want to be a man shooitng women"). I think it was also significant that throughout his talk, he frequently gave credit to his influences, his colleagues, his teachers, his family, his friends, and his luck.