Reflections on Civil War: Generations from series 'Meditation on Joan Baez's Civil War' by Deborah Willis
Meditiation on Joan Baez's Civil War
"In my view, the notion of representing and embodying Joan Baez’s Civil War is framed in the act of a waltz, historical and contemporary photographs and storytelling through the lyrics. Civil War as a metaphor has varying meanings and entry points to imagine and reimagine the American Civil War, a conflict in a relationship between man and woman; it is found in the portraits of black soldiers made in photographic studios and tents that connect the ideals of democracy and patriotism to 19th century photographic albums of black women domestic workers. In using my own photographs and projected images from the archive of the 19th century and the work of Hank Willis Thomas, I wanted to foreground memory, clothing, objects through the pace of a waltz. It is both sensual and hypnotic through the movements of the choreographer and dancers Djassi Johnson and Kevin Boseman. Through the spellbinding texture of Baez' sound we feel that we are witnessing the past and the present; tension and resolution; while simultaneous transfixed by the movement and sound."
About the Museum
The Montclair Art Museum, together with its Vance Wall Art Education Center, engages our diverse community through distinctive exhibitions, educational programs, and collections of American and Native American art. Our mission is to inspire and engage people of all ages in their experience with art, including the rich inter-cultural and global connections throughout American history, and the continuing relevance of art to contemporary life.