Carrie Mae Weems ​ By: Taylor Blanco

Carrie Mae Weems Born: April 20, 1953 in Portland, Oregon. She is the second born child to her parents Carrie Polk and Myrlie Weems.

Education Studied photography and design at San Francisco City College from 1974 to 1976. In 1981, she receives a Bachelor’s Degree of Fine Arts and also enrolls in the University of California, San Diego for graduate school. Receives Master’s in Fine Arts from the University of California, San Diego. Enrolled in the graduate program in folklore, University of California, Berkeley from 1984 to 1987.

Carrie Mae weems December 11, 1969: Gave birth to her only child and named her daughter Faith C. Weems 1970: Moved to San Francisco, California 1971: Moved to New York looking for work but does not find any work so decides to return back to San Francisco. 1978: Starts living bi-coastally going from California and New York City

Carrie Mae Weems 1965: Carrie met Tom Vinters and Catherine Jelski, and became interested in the arts and started acting in street theatre and dance. 1972: Joins the Marxist movement after meeting Raymond Marshall and worked as an organizer for nine years.

Photography 1973: She received her first camera, Nikon, for her birthday and began photography. 1978: Meets the men who work with The Black Photographers Annual and becomes an assistant to Anthony Barboza. Creats the Family Pictures and Stories series(1981-1982) 1982: Meets PH Polk and he sells her two photographs for $25 Her work was influenced by the works of earlier African American photographers who documented the “Black Experience”

Sea Islands Series (1991-1992)

Dreaming Of Cuba (2001)

Museums (2006)

other Works Blue Notes (2014-2015) Slow Fade to Black(2010)

The Kitchen Table Series(1990)

Subject Matter Carrie Mae Weems attempted to convey a variety of messages to an assortment of issues. Most notably Weems wants “‘people of color to stand for the human multitudes’ and for her art to resonate with audiences of all races,” This series was simple but had so much meaning. It is one location but there are different meanings in each photograph. This series was based around living in a city and creating your own voice.

Construction of The Photographs This series was shot in one location but different situations were put in front of it. There as a single light above the kitchen table they were sitting at. This series was shot in her own kitchen and showed the battle around a family. http://www.art21.org/videos/short-carrie-mae-weems-the-kitchen-table-series Everything is clear in these photos and that means the aperture must have been very high and the shutter speed was fast enough to capture human contact.

ELements of art The photographs are black and white and have dim lighting with more shadows which I think that it helps show the mood of each photo. There is a African American woman sitting at the head of the table in most photographs and she looks stressed or spaced out of the situation of the photography. The camera angle is head on and eye level with the subject.

Sources http://carriemaeweems.net http://www.britannica.com/biography/Carrie-Mae-Weems https://www.artsy.net/artist/carrie-mae-weems http://www.art21.org/videos/short-carrie-mae-weems-the-kitchen-table-series http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/photographs/carrie-mae-weems-untitled- 5536422-details.aspx