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Sam Fox School of Design & Visual Arts

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Howardena Pindell

Free, White and 21

1980

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In this deeply personal and political video, Howardena Pindell recounts the racism she encountered both as a child and an adult in educational institutions, employment offices, and various social settings. The video alternates between filmed sequences of the African-American artist speaking directly into the camera as herself and in the guise of a blonde white woman who reprimands black Howardena for being paranoid and ungrateful. Presenting a strong statement against discrimination, the video draws attention to stereotypical racial roles and the ways in which people of color are expected to perform and behave. The contentious dialogue between these two women also functions as a critique of the notion of “Woman” employed in the feminist debates of the 1970s, which tended to overlook the impact of differences of class and race. [Permanent collection label, 2013]
  • Artist Howardena Pindell (American, b. 1943)
  • Title Free, White and 21
  • Date 1980
  • Medium Color video with sound
  • Dimensions duration | 12:15min.
  • Credit line University purchase, Bixby Fund, 2012
  • Object number WU 2012.0007

Women's Work, Arthur Greenberg Undergraduate Curatorial Fellowship exhibition
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 04/23/2021 - 08/01/2021

Truths and Reckonings: The Art of Transformative Racial Justice
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 02/07/2020 - 04/18/2020

Reframing Feminism: Visualizing Women, Gender & Sexuality
Mildred Lane Kemper Art Museum, Washington University in St. Louis, 09/08/2017 - 01/08/2018

9/10/2012
The Kitchen (New York, NY) and Haleakala Inc. / dba

This artwork record may be incomplete or need refinement. Our staff actively researches the collection and revises records when new information is available. If you have questions or comments about this record, please contact us.

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