Still
Photographs by Ayanah Moor
April 12 - May 15, 2006
Main Gallery, John Hope Franklin Center
Ayanah Moor Public Lecture
Wednesday, April 12, 2005
2:00 - 3:30 PM :: John Hope Franklin Center Room 240
Opening Reception
Wednesday, April 12, 2005
6:00 - 8:00 PM :: Franklin Center Gallery
About the Exhibit:
Images of women surrounding male rap stars in music videos is as common as the jewel encrusted subject matter of today’s rap lyrics. Females are seen in packs hovering around male rap stars, playing the part of enthusiastic cheerleader or die-hard groupie. Rap music videos sell not only hip hop culture, but also the very image of its women. They serve as eye candy designed to satisfy an assumed male video audience, affirming critiques of the culture as hyper masculine and misogynist. Still is a series of photographs from contemporary rap music videos. These artworks invite a second look at the hip hop video vixen, displaying an interest in moments unintended by music video narratives. Some stills reveal agency rather than victimization, while others provide reminders of the narrow representations of women in hip hop.
Details about the artist, Ayanah Moor, can be found at her website: http://www.ayanah.com/
This exhibit is sponsored by the John Hope Franklin Center, the Duke University Center for International Studies, the African and African American Studies Program and the Franklin Humanities Institute.
For more information on this and other exhibits at the Franklin Center, contact Pamela Gutlon, p.gutlon@duke.edu.