Taylor Stevenson: Alyscia Cunningham

Over the thanksgiving holiday I attended the Reginald F. Lewis Museum in Baltimore, Maryland. This exhibit focused on African American roots in Maryland throughout slavery through to the civil war and to current issues. In the exhibit there was a particular piece that interested me Alyscia Cunningham work entitled By Any Means. Which was a self-portrait of the artist that takes Harriet Tubmans standpoint of never returning back to slavery. Cunningham’s work employs dramatic lighting because she feels as if it “fosters a greater interaction between the viewer and the photographs”. I really enjoyed Cunninghams use of historical reference in her photos, it shows that she is aware.  This work is  also significant to the exhibit because it is relating past historical moments to current forms of expression, which helps too tie the exhibit together.

However she also known for her Feminine Transitions book that celebrates the beauty of women aged 7 to 103 years.