- Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something)
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Kara Walker addresses the history of slavery and today’s persistent racism through vividly rendered narratives. Using cut-out silhouettes that reflect and confound stereotypes of the Antebellum era, Walker demands that we confront this toxic legacy. Critic Hilton Als has written, “In Walker’s work, slavery is a nightmare from which no American has yet awakened . . . leaving us all scarred, hateful, hated, and diminished.”
Slaughter of the Innocents (They Might be Guilty of Something) is among Walker’s first large-scale compositions mounted on canvas. Here she restages the Biblical narrative, with violence matched by mourning, subjection countered by erotic power.
ProvenanceThe artist; [Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York]; purchased by MFAH, 2017.
Exhibition History"Sikkema Jenkins and Co. is Compelled to present The most Astounding and Important Painting show of the fall Art Show viewing season!," Sikkema Jenkins & Co., New York, September 7–October 14, 2017.
"Witness," Nancy and Rich Kinder Building Inaugural Exhibition, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, November 15, 2020–November 15, 2022.
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