Carrie Mae Weems

American, born 1953

Carrie Mae Weems is a leading contemporary American artist. Through photography, sculpture, video, and public art, she examines identity, race, and power.

Born in Portland, Oregon, in 1953, Weems became interested in art as a child. Her early photography series Family Pictures and Stories featured her close-knit family. The images capture their experience as part of the small Black community in Portland.

In her work, Weems explores how narrative and visual histories misrepresent or fail to include Black people. In the process, she constructs her own stories. Her Kitchen Table Series (1990) depicts a woman grappling with relationship dynamics and motherhood. The images narrate the rich tapestry of a Black woman’s life.

Weems’s work has appeared in museums across the United States. In 2014, she became the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. The artist currently lives in Syracuse, New York.

Explore selected works

These are two blurry, side-by-side, blue-toned photographs separated by white borders. They appear to show to shame person, although their details are obscured. In the left panel, the person is depicted from roughly the knees up, facing us directly. They wear a hooded garment and perhaps have a jacket over it. In the right panel, the person is shown from the side, facing the left. This side view shows that they are wearing a hat. In both photos, they seem to have their hands in their pants pockets. The background is dark blue, and all of the details in the photos are in shades of blue.
Carrie Mae Weems, Maurice Sánchez, Sequra Arts Studio, All the Boys, 2017, color offset lithograph on Somerset Satin paper, Gift of the Collectors Committee, 2018.70.1

All the Boys

Carrie Mae Weems, Maurice Sánchez, Sequra Arts Studio · 2017 · color offset lithograph on Somerset Satin paper ·  Accession ID  2018.70.1
This black-and-white photograph shows the Lincoln Memorial from a distance, showing the rows of stairs that lead up to its tall columns. A person stands on the central steps, directly below the large statue of Abraham Lincoln that can be seen between the columns. The person appears to be silhouetted, and we see them only as a black shape in a long dress or skirt, with no other detail visible. On the left, some more people are visible by a dark bush. We can't see them clearly, but they appear to wear a mixture of jackets, shirts, pants, and shorts in various colors, and have their backs to the monument. The sky above is clear.
Carrie Mae Weems, Echoes for Marian, 2014, chromogenic print, Gift of Jo Carole and Ronald S. Lauder, 2021.8.1

Echoes for Marian

Carrie Mae Weems · 2014 · chromogenic print ·  Accession ID  2021.8.1
The image shows a collection of seventeen framed photographs of people in various poses. The photographs are arranged in uneven rows with some wide areas of space between them. Most of the photographs have different colorful tints, including blue, green, and purple, while some are in full color. The photographs appear to be mostly of Black women speaking, dancing, singing, or otherwise performing. The women are in a variety of clothing, including formal dresses and coats, casual outfits, and intricate costumes. Some of the photographs are close-ups of these women, while others are wider. Many of them appear blurry. The framed photographs hang against a white background.
Carrie Mae Weems, Slow Fade to Black II, 2010, 17 inkjet prints, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2014.84.1.a-q

Slow Fade to Black II

Carrie Mae Weems · 2010 · 17 inkjet prints ·  Accession ID  2014.84.1.a-q
The artwork is a circular, sepia-toned photograph featuring four young girls. The girl in the foreground is lying on her side, resting on her elbow, and gazing directly at the viewer. She has her hair styled in a bun with a flower accessory and is wearing a floral-patterned dress. Behind her, another girl is leaning on her shoulder, with her head resting on her arm, her hair adorned with flowers. Two more girls are positioned behind them, sitting upright, with one looking directly at the camera and the other gazing to the side. Both have floral accessories in their hair and are dressed in light-colored dresses. The background consists of dense foliage.
Carrie Mae Weems, After Manet, 2002, printed 2015, chromogenic print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2015.75.1

After Manet

Carrie Mae Weems · 2002, printed 2015 · chromogenic print ·  Accession ID  2015.75.1
Three young Black girls lie on the grass in this closely cropped, sepia-toned, circular photograph so their faces roughly line up near the center. At the bottom of the composition, one girl lies on her back and looks up into the sky. Her head, torso, and right arm are visible. She wears a floral-patterned dress and holds her right hand up to the top of her head. The second girl reclines on her right side behind the first, so she is angled to our left. She props her head in her right hand and looks steadily at us. Her face hovers at the center of the composition. She wears a white t-shirt and a garland encircles her head. The third girl, at the top of the composition, seems to prop her body up on her left elbow. She wears a floral dress and looks down and to our right. Grass and paving rocks fill the space behind her.
Carrie Mae Weems, May Flowers, 2002, printed 2013, chromogenic print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2014.3.1

May Flowers

Carrie Mae Weems · 2002, printed 2013 · chromogenic print ·  Accession ID  2014.3.1
This grayscale photograph shows a person from the back, standing beside a bed. The individual has short, dark hair and is nude. They are in front of a bed with a metal headboard. There is a bedside table with a lamp and a window with curtains on the wall behind the bed, as well as two framed photographs or pieces of artwork. We see this scene as a reflection in a circular mirror, which is in the center of the photograph on a low wooden dresser. Below the photograph is a large area of white paper with several lines of text in bold letters, along with a signature, a date, and an edition number at the bottom.
Carrie Mae Weems, Segura Publishing Company, Not Manet's Type, 2001, offset photolithograph in black on wove paper, Corcoran Collection (Museum Purchase), 2015.19.3336

Not Manet's Type

Carrie Mae Weems, Segura Publishing Company · 2001 · offset photolithograph in black on wove paper ·  Accession ID  2015.19.3336
The artwork consists of seven vertically oriented panels, each framed in black. The images within the panels are rendered in a monochromatic blue tone, creating a cohesive visual theme. The panels contain a mix of historical and contemporary photographic scenes, depicting figures engaged in activities such as marching, standing, and interacting in groups. Some panels include elements such as individuals in robes or clerical garments. The backgrounds vary, featuring architectural structures and natural settings. Text is superimposed on several panels.
Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled, 1996, printed 2020, 7 inkjet prints with sandblasted text on glass in wood frames, Patrons' Permanent Fund, 2020.96.1.a-g

Untitled

Carrie Mae Weems · 1996, printed 2020 · 7 inkjet prints with sandblasted text on glass in wood frames ·  Accession ID  2020.96.1.a-g
This is a diptych, with the left panel displaying a grayscale photograph of a grassy area with trees featuring thick trunks and sprawling branches covered in hanging moss. The horizon line is low on the picture, and the sky behind the trees is light. On the right panel, there is a cream-colored sheet that appears to be an old music score with printed text below it. The sheet contains musical notes and lyrics with center-aligned text.
Carrie Mae Weems, Run, Nigger, Run, 1992, gelatin silver print and screenprint on paper, Corcoran Collection (Gift of the Friends of the Corcoran Gallery of Art, 1995), 2014.136.411.a-b

Run, Nigger, Run

Carrie Mae Weems · 1992 · gelatin silver print and screenprint on paper ·  Accession ID  2014.136.411.a-b
Twelve lines of black text in all capital letters are printed on a square, beige-colored sheet of paper. The lines are centered down the page and divided into four groups set in progressively smaller type sizes. Near the top, the largest text reads, “THE KITCHEN TABLE SERIES.” In smaller text below, “CARRIE MAE WEEMS.” Immediately below that, again in smaller text, “A PORTFOLIO OF TWENTY PLATINUM PRINTS, FOURTEEN TEXT SHEETS, EDITION OF TEN, TWO ARTIST’S PROOFS, WINTER 2003.” The remaining text is printed in five lines at the bottom center of the sheet: “DESIGNED WITH PAMELA VANDERZWAN, PHOTOGRAPHS PRINTED BY JOHN MARCY OF NORTHAMPTON PHOTOGRAPHIC, TEXT PRINTED BY PETER KRUTY EDITIONS, FUNDED WITH GENEROUS SUPPORT, BY PETER NORTON.” Between the text at the center of the sheet and the five lines along the bottom, the artist signed the sheet in graphite: “Carrie M. Weems 9/10.”
Carrie Mae Weems, Kitchen Table Series, 1990, printed 2003, portfolio of 20 platinum/palladium prints and 14 screenprints, Gift of the Collectors Committee, and Robert B. Menschel and the Vital Projects Fund, 2017.4.1.1-34

Kitchen Table Series

Carrie Mae Weems · 1990, printed 2003 · portfolio of 20 platinum/palladium prints and 14 screenprints ·  Accession ID  2017.4.1.1-34
The artwork depicts a woman shown from the waist up, standing in a work environment. She is facing forward with a wide smile. Her hair is pulled back, and she is wearing a short-sleeved shirt with a logo. Around her, there are sewing machines and spools of thread, indicating a textile or garment production setting. The background is busy with other workers engaged in various tasks, and shelves filled with materials are visible. The image is in black and white.
Carrie Mae Weems, Mom at Work, 1978–1984, gelatin silver print, Alfred H. Moses and Fern M. Schad Fund, 2022.108.1

Mom at Work

Carrie Mae Weems · 1978–1984 · gelatin silver print ·  Accession ID  2022.108.1

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