Carrie Mae Weems is a photographer that tells stories both in intimate and public settings. The majority of this interviews discusses Weems’ Kitchen Table series which centers around African American subjects, which Weems expresses her need to “build a form” for herself that doesn’t exist in the art world, her work advocates for the equality in African American presence. She began as a dancer which I found really interesting, from her expression through her own body she was able to use that knowledge in her photography. As an artist, she is constantly reworking her compositions to solidify the message she wants to send to the audience, throughout the process she is reshooting, reprinting and continuing these steps until she believes the photograph has created purpose. She states, I realized at a certain moment that I could not count on white men to construct images of myself that I would find appealing or useful or meaningful or complex., she expresses her respect for the privileged artists in the world, but has realized that there is almost no platform for women, specially women of color. As a Mexican American, her ability to take control of her art and her purpose is empowering. As I mature, I realize the weight that my work has the ability to hold.
