On view January 10, 2020 – February 29, 2020

Photographer Carlton Wilkinson has long been fascinated by the arts of the African diaspora. There is an emotional disconnect for many African-Americans from the continent of Africa – loss of languages, aesthetics, histories, and most tragically, the disconnect from ancestors and families.

Wilkinson’s fascination has led to this extraordinary collection of intimate photographs, combining two bodies of work: On the Altar of Liberty, and African Male Museum. The churches depicted in On the Altar of Liberty played a prominent role in the Civil Rights Movement, which brought voices from the African diaspora to the forefront of the American psyche. This collection of evocative photos captures memory, loss, longing, and tenderness through a range of models and techniques, serving as a reminder of a great past and an uncertain future.

Alternately, portraiture in African Male Museum presents a varied image of black bodies, challenging stereotypes through figurative studies, poetry, and portraits that seek to redefine a sense of the black male.

This exhibit is presented in collaboration with the course Social Movements and Global Change, presented by Dr. Gregory Freeland.

View recorded lecture here

Image credit: Carlton Wilkinson, Mason Temple. Courtesy of the artist.