Carrie Mae Weems (American, b.1953)
The Blues, 2017
Set of 25 archival pigment prints 10 x 10 inches (print): 11 1/8 x 11 1/8 inches (framed): 63 5/8 x 63 5/8 (overall)
The New York Times recently called American artist Carrie Mae Weems “our best contemporary photographer.” Born in 1953, Weems work explores a wide range of contemporary issues, including race, gender, class and personal identity. The Blues celebrates the cultural contributions of Bronx-born singer and actor, Mary J. Blige. The musician is best known for her autobiographical songs of inspiration and female empowerment. Weems portrays Blige as the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, a strong woman who has seen her share of both hardship and success.
The idea of representation is at the heart of Weems’s photography. The Blues offers an elegant and affirmative portrait of American achievement, suggesting the breadth and depth of our nation’s cultural landscape.
Weems has received numerous awards, grants, and fellowships, including the MacArthur “Genius” grant and the prestigious Prix de Roma. Her work is represented in private and public collections including Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York; Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, The Museum of Modern Art, New York, National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC; Philadelphia Museum of Art, Philadelphia; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, San Francisco; Tate Modern, London; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York.
More information on Carrie Mae Weems can be found here: