Carrie Mae Weems

The Louisiana Project

Oct. 4 – Nov. 22, 2005 

Main Gallery 

Resume

Organized by the Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans Toured under the auspices of Pamela Auchincloss/Arts Management, New York

Lecture: Imaging Black Culture
Deborah Willis, Professor of Photography and Imaging, Tisch School of the Arts, New York University
Tuesday, October 4th at 7 p.m. in the Langone Center Forum

Gallery Talk: Carrie Mae Weems and the Louisiana Project
Erik Neal, Director, Newcomb Art Gallery, Tulane University, New Orleans
Friday, October 21 at 5 p.m.

Carrie Mae Weems is recognized internationally for making work that investigates American history in ways that make it current and relevant to today. Part image-maker, storyteller and folklorist, Weems employs performance, theater, photographic images, and humor to document and challenge perceptions of race, class and gender. "The Louisiana Project" is an installation incorporating still photography, narrative, and video projection as part of an examination of the complex history of New Orleans and the resulting "commingling culture." Weems draws inspiration from the city’s Carnival rituals and the meanings of masking and masquerade, She raises makes us think about how the individual views the self as well as others, and raises pervasive questions of social justice, racial and sexual identity, and the legacy of slavery. While the focus of this stunning work is Louisiana, the cultural implications extend far beyond one state or one region. "The Louisiana Project" was commissioned by Newcomb Gallery director Erik Neil to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Louisiana Purchase. "