Art Lies, Volume 10, April-June 1996 Page: 17
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women, more specifically African American women
add to photography as an art form, how do they
add to the conversation about representation you
referred to earlier?
KS: Because it makes our voice audible in terms of
our point of view our perspective and the things
that matter to us. It comes from an authentic voice.
Louise Martin's work is not something new, what it
is authentic, it is absolutely authentic because there
is nothing new under the sun. Things have been
done over and over again. It has never been said
like that before, it can be said with the voice of
people who are not considered a part of the con-
versation. Well first of we are not considered to have
access to the language. You can't come up with a
statement because we don't have access to the lan-
guage. And here we are and we are making state-
ments that are not only clear legitimate statements
but are also something to be reckoned with!
DS: What do you mean by authenticity?
KS: If I go into a Klu Klux Klan meeting and take
some photographs, I'm not talking about them
people, I'm talking about my perspective of it. Only
another Klansman can talk about what it's like to
be a Klu Klux Klan member.
DS: Is photography particularly more useful as an
educational tool than other art forms?
KS: I wouldn't say that it is more useful but it is as
useful as other forms.
DS: In what ways?
KS: Well, we get back to this issue of light, under-
standing the universal principles that govern the
behavior of light, that is so important because it
involves science and math, and physics. It involves
so many other disciplines and you get inside that
code, those systems of knowledge that have been
devised to explain, what's going on. That code ex-
plains how accessible these systems of knowledge
are, the first step is to question it. When kids see a
photograph coming up and they did it, the mean-
ing becomes that they had access to the mechanism,
the machinery, the camera that interpreted what
they were receiving, and then were able to create
something from it, and they own it because it's
theirs. So they then own that aspect of time light
interaction, they own that. So yea, you have every
right in the world to ask more questions about ev-
erything. And I know that this happens! Like that
little girl asked (in the Camera House exhibit at
Project Row Houses) how did you do that? Well
would she ask that question if she had not experi-
enced it? That is going to be a question for her from
now on. And she's going to check it out. It is going
to be a part of her reference, part of her own per-
sonal reference.
DS: So photography can be a vehicle for a univer-salized approach to empowerment?
KS: . . . yes in terms of the way we think, about
ourselves and this world. Aside from the capacity
of photography to be an art form, photography has
the ability to shape our ideas, and influence behav-
ior that defines our society. It has done that and it
still has the ability to do that. And with racism-
which is very real we don't talk about it as much,
we have haven't found a language to dialogue be-
cause it is so emotional-if it is to be addressed on
any level economically, or socially, then it is im-
perative that the works of African American pho-
tographers play a role in redefining the distortions
of imagery from the past and present. Imagery that
has been made from unauthentic voices about our
people. For me this involves not only the technical
expertise which is something that Louise Martin and
others like Pat Williams insist upon, but also they
insist upon the aesthetics of our culture and per-
spective. You see that is a very important theme. It
requires a sensitivity from the rest of society for
that cultural perspective and most of all it involves
the end of the imposed invisibility of African Ameri-
can photography in the history of photography. This
is a very important thing.
This is an exerpt from an interview with
Karen Sanders featured in an upcoming issue of
Ashe, the newsletter for the Community Artists Col-
lective.
Photographs by Louise Martin17
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Reece, Garry. Art Lies, Volume 10, April-June 1996, periodical, April 1996; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth228041/m1/19/: accessed April 27, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; .