CARRIE MAE WEEMS: BEACON
November 10, 2017 - February 25, 2018
November 10, 2017 - February 25, 2018
Carrie Mae Weems is the 2017 recipient of the Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists, presented by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Council on the Arts in recognition of her significant artistic contributions to the state of New York. As part of this honor, Weems will be presenting her series of photographs entitled Beacon at the Edward Hopper House from November 10, 2017 through February 25, 2018. "To be receiving this award in recognition of the great artist Edward Hopper, whose painted world of dark nights and lonely people were so often a home to my imagination and anchor to my own practice is a tremendous honor," said Weems.
For the Beacon series, Weems documented the changing landscape and culture of Beacon, NY, over the course of her years there as an artist-in-residence. Like Edward Hopper's hometown of Nyack, NY, Beacon is a diverse community that has seen many changes over the years as it has evolved from a factory town to a center of arts and culture. Places of historic and cultural significance such as Dia: Beacon are featured in the photographs. Weems places herself as the subject, always standing with her back to the camera, observing and as she says, "bearing witness, confronting something, [serving] as a guide to the viewer standing with me, [we are] witnessing something together though our experience of it might not be the same."
Considered one of the most influential contemporary American artists, Weems is celebrated for her photography, films, and videos that address social themes focusing on race, gender, and class. She has exhibited at major institutions throughout the world, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the MacArthur "Genius" grant, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Prix de Roma, and many more. She lives and works in Syracuse, NY.
New York State Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee (D-Rockland County), who initiated and sponsored the bill to establish The Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists, said, "I am thrilled that the first Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists will be awarded to Carrie Mae Weems, whose powerful, groundbreaking work addressing issues of race, gender, class, equality and social justice is poignantly relevant in these times. New York State can be proud of its vast artistic talent and rich cultural heritage. Recognizing this contemporary visual artist for her outstanding contributions to the arts in New York State honors not only Carrie Mae Weems, but also the enormous influence of Edward Hopper, New York's native son and one of the most admired American artists around the world."
For the Beacon series, Weems documented the changing landscape and culture of Beacon, NY, over the course of her years there as an artist-in-residence. Like Edward Hopper's hometown of Nyack, NY, Beacon is a diverse community that has seen many changes over the years as it has evolved from a factory town to a center of arts and culture. Places of historic and cultural significance such as Dia: Beacon are featured in the photographs. Weems places herself as the subject, always standing with her back to the camera, observing and as she says, "bearing witness, confronting something, [serving] as a guide to the viewer standing with me, [we are] witnessing something together though our experience of it might not be the same."
Considered one of the most influential contemporary American artists, Weems is celebrated for her photography, films, and videos that address social themes focusing on race, gender, and class. She has exhibited at major institutions throughout the world, and she is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships, including the MacArthur "Genius" grant, the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation's Lifetime Achievement Award, the Prix de Roma, and many more. She lives and works in Syracuse, NY.
New York State Assemblymember Ellen Jaffee (D-Rockland County), who initiated and sponsored the bill to establish The Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists, said, "I am thrilled that the first Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists will be awarded to Carrie Mae Weems, whose powerful, groundbreaking work addressing issues of race, gender, class, equality and social justice is poignantly relevant in these times. New York State can be proud of its vast artistic talent and rich cultural heritage. Recognizing this contemporary visual artist for her outstanding contributions to the arts in New York State honors not only Carrie Mae Weems, but also the enormous influence of Edward Hopper, New York's native son and one of the most admired American artists around the world."
Carrie Mae Weems is a powerful visual storyteller and socially motivated artist whose films, photography, and texts engage with issues of gender, race, and class. In 2002, the Beacon Cultural Foundation invited Weems to document the changing economic and cultural status of their city. Once prosperous, Beacon suffered an economic downturn in the 1970s followed by revitalization in the early 2000s as artists moved to the area and a new art center opened. For the Beacon project, Weems chronicled this transformation over a three-year period by conducting oral histories of residents and photographing the city’s landscapes and architecture.
Usually standing with her back to the viewer, Weems is both subject and observer in the Beacon photographs, “Bearing witness, confronting something, [serving] as a guide to the viewer standing with me, [we are] witnessing something together though our experience of it might not be the same.” Her early background in dance provided her with an understanding of how one’s body can be used as an expressive tool. For most of her career, she has turned the camera on herself, using her body as a performative element, with each series eliciting a different meaning depending on the viewer and context.
Weems tells her story through the lens of the African American woman whose image - she feels - has not been adequately represented in popular media. But, she says of her work, “Black experience is not really the main point; rather, complex, dimensional, human experience and social inclusion...is the real point.”
Usually standing with her back to the viewer, Weems is both subject and observer in the Beacon photographs, “Bearing witness, confronting something, [serving] as a guide to the viewer standing with me, [we are] witnessing something together though our experience of it might not be the same.” Her early background in dance provided her with an understanding of how one’s body can be used as an expressive tool. For most of her career, she has turned the camera on herself, using her body as a performative element, with each series eliciting a different meaning depending on the viewer and context.
Weems tells her story through the lens of the African American woman whose image - she feels - has not been adequately represented in popular media. But, she says of her work, “Black experience is not really the main point; rather, complex, dimensional, human experience and social inclusion...is the real point.”
Carrie Mae Weems, The Artist, Seated, 2003-05, Archival pigment print, 33.25 x 29.25 x 1.25 in., image courtesy of the Artist, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Carrie Mae Weems, Dia Beacon from Beacon, 2003-05, Archival pigment print, 33.25 x 29.25 x 1.25 in. Image courtesy of the Artist, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Carrie Mae Weems, Company Housing from Beacon, 2003-05, Archival pigment print, 33.25 x 29.25 x 1.25 in. Image courtesy of the Artist, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Carrie Mae Weems, Lewitt’s Wall from Beacon, 2003-05, Archival pigment print, 31.25 x 27.5 in. Image courtesy of the Artist, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Carrie Mae Weems, Factory from Beacon, 2003-05, Archival pigment print, 33.25 x 29.25 x 1.25 in. Image courtesy of the Artist, and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York
Images may be downloaded, reproduced, and published by members of the press for the sole purpose of creating or supporting timely news stories related to the Edward Hopper House and its exhibitions, programs, and events. Use of the press images for any other purpose requires the additional prior permission of the Edward Hopper House and may also require the additional prior permission of third-party rights holders. Obtaining these permissions is the sole responsibility of the press user. Press images may not be downloaded, reproduced, or published by commercial stock houses or archives under any circumstances. Press images must be reproduced in their entirety, and must include the identifying information provided by the Edward Hopper House, collection information, credit lines, and copyright. Images may not be cropped, detailed, overprinted, or altered without prior approval.
|
Carrie Mae Weems is the 2017 recipient of the Edward Hopper Citation of Merit for Visual Artists, presented by Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Council on the Arts in recognition of her significant artistic contributions to the state of New York. This exhibition is presented at the Edward Hopper House to commemorate that honor.
This exhibition is made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew M. Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. Additional support has been provided by Regina Rodwell-Bell and Jake Bell, and O’D’s Tavern. |
