In this final episode of The Current Corner about TAM’s recent acquisitions by Black artists, Rebecca and Jack Benaroya Curator Victoria Miles discusses two works: Jacob Lawrence’s The Studio and Carrie Mae Weems’ Untitled (Box Spring in Tree).
“When I think about Jacob Lawrence and the spirit of The Current, I really appreciate his innovativeness. I love how he uses color and shapes to create a sense of energy and movement in his work. I think it truly captures the spirit and feeling of Black American culture and heritage.”
“I see Carrie Mae Weems not only as a photographer, but as an image maker. Her use of black and white photography acts as a mirror, transcending time and allows various connections points to the work to explore these complex subjects of race, gender, and class. She’s really a masterclass act in image making.”
To learn more about The Current, An Artist Award, click here!
Jacob Lawrence (born Atlantic City, New Jersey, 1917; died Seattle, Washington, 2000)
The Studio, 1996
Lithograph on paper
30 × 22 1/8 in. (76.2 × 56.2 cm)
Tacoma Art Museum, From the collection of Stephen Roy Lindstrom and donated by Christina Lindstrom Bridston, 2024.2
Carrie Mae Weems (born Portland, Oregon, 1953)
Untitled (Box Spring in Tree) from the series Sea Islands, 1992
Gelatin silver print
27 1/4 × 27 1/4 in. (69.2 × 69.2 cm)
Tacoma Art Museum,Gift of John J. O’Leary, 2021.15.8