Object number2023.37.3
American Mother
Date2019
Artist
Zora J. Murff
(American, born 1987)
CultureAmerican
MediumInkjet print
EditionEdition 1 of 3, plus 1 artist's proof
DimensionsIncoming Dimensions: 20 x 16 in. (50.8 x 40.6 cm)
Credit LinePurchase, Advisory Council for Photography
On View
Not on viewPeriod21st c
Classification(s)
Vassar Exhibitions
Label TextArtist and activist Zora J. Murff first came to photography through social work, where he focused on helping young people avoid incarceration. His series American Mother, American Father combines found family photographs and Murff’s own photographs to create affirmations that challenge racial stereotypes. Unlike Tina Modotti or Mary Cassatt, Murff removes the child, making the mother the star of this piece. Here he centers a Black mother as she joyously smiles, looking away from the camera. By using extreme contrasts against a dark background, Murff creates a spotlight that makes the subject glow. When asked who his art is for, Murff responds: “I’m making works for whatever Black person might walk into the space, so they can look and know that it is meant for them.” Murff creates images with care to create new visual representations of and for a larger community that has historically been marked by injustice.
Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge.
To help improve this record, please email
loebcollections@vassar.edu
