Carrie Mae Weems

I so appreciate the opportunity to take in Carrie Mae Weems' exhibit at the Art Museum in Portland, the same city where she was born and raised.  My felt connection with Carrie Mae Weems goes beyond nearly sharing the same birthday and middle name.  I identify with the way she uses lyrics and text to tell her story, to make a point, and to provoke thought.  For this reason her work spoke to me more than many others I've seen.  Two of my favorites of her bodies of work are The Kitchen Table Series (1990) and From Here I Saw What Happened and I Cried (1995-1996).

In The Kitchen Table Series, Weems communicates the story both as the subject and photographer.