Kara Walker and her use of Positive and Negative Forms
I don’t particular feel comfortable speaking on the overall cultural and ethnic themes her works present, as I’m not entirely aware of all of the symbolism and story telling she uses in her pieces. As much as I love the loaded imagery, I find it very appealing in fact, I just don’t want to make any wrong steps in the area. As whole, however, I will comment her works are very beautiful.
She makes great use of flow, guiding out eyes along the work to tell us a story or present to us an idea. She takes her use of positive space to a whole new level, giving us that profile view of the silhouettes to really bring home those character identities through their appearances. Even with the simplicity of only using the contrasts of negative and positive space, she knows how to breathe life into her forms. Giving each individual an identity of their own. The landscapes are not just the background to the story, but are apart of the story and are connect to the characters. Literally and figuratively. Giving us a particular mood and theme to the piece. The energy is never overwhelming, it always brings an appropriate amount of excitement. Her silhouettes don’t even feel that dramatic or over exaggerated. Actually, her great use of subtleties are what ground the works in reality, in my mind.
As a whole, she gives me a new appreciation for works that focus on the balance between the negative and positive, as she truly is master at it.
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