Place, Race, Gender and Materiality: Bisa Butler Making the Last, First and the First, Last in the Modern Museum

Authors

Charles Peterson, Oberlin CollegeFollow
A. W. Eaton, University of Illinois, ChicagoFollow

Abstract

Bisa Butler is a contemporary artist who creates stunning portraits composed entirely of textiles. In this article, we argue that one significant aspect of Butler’s oeuvre is the way that she deeply entwines the ethico-political and the aesthetic in a beautiful symbiotic partnership. Through a careful examination of her work, her technique, her artistic and museum contexts, and the unknown African American subjects she celebrates, we argue that Butler’s work should be understood as liberatory artistic practice that disrupts hegemonic spaces and ideologies.