1. Blas 110 Manson 1
Marissa Manson
Prof. Denise Rogers
Blas 110
13 May 2014
Afrofemcentrism and Renee Cox
Art as an institution has a dynamic interaction with its artists, subjects and audience. The
valued artists are usually older white single males. The subject and image vary. However,
marginalized subjects and images seem to be undervalued in the art world. The audience (patron)
tends to be rich, above middle class. Art is seen as a leisure and passing time aspect of society
rather than a need. Therefore the working class from cultural backgrounds other than European
Americans tends to be excluded. In essence the working single African American mother tends
to be lowest on the scale among conversations in the art society. Renee Cox among other
afrofemcentric artist focus on the black female. Cox in particular uses her own body and black
feminine experience as her focus. She challenges societal norms and forces her audience to be
uncomfortable with deep thought and self-reflection. A JAP (Jamaican American Princess) as
Cox refers to herself, unapologetically claims her suburban and educated background where she
was taught to celebrate herself in her own skin. Her unrelenting concern of society has been
adherent since the beginning of her art after completing an MFA. Cox's predecessors Ringgold
and Catlett have the same discussion of the African American woman but Cox's style as using
her own bare body serves to be more controversial as opposed to her foremothers. However, in
each of those artists their main concerns are with the marginalization of African American
woman and showing her in a light of praise and celebration, which the Black Woman rarely gets
to see in media. The concept they build on is afrofemcentrism, placing the African American

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woman at the center rather than the margin as well as reflecting on their roles as artists around
such social issues. In lieu of race and gender with self-reflection Cox portrays afrofemcentrism
best, but not only, in "Yo Mama," "Yo Mama's Last Supper," and "The Real Hottentot."
The African American female faces dual challenges of racism and sexism. Cox and other
afrofemcentric artists challenge and explore the dual complexity with empowering images of
black women. Afrofemcentrism is more than just centering the African American woman, "Their
work must be considered in terms of race and gender not only because such issues occasioned
their exclusion in the first place but also because they themselves focus their work as well as
their roles as artists around these societal topics. Many label themselves as “Afrofemcentric"—
that is, their art and their lives are devoted to representing black women,” (Farris). The totality
and integrity of afrofemcentric artists devote their whole being to black women.
As an artist Cox extensively explores the dynamics of black women. In "Yo Mama"
series Cox uses her pregnancy and children to portray her personal reality as a black mother.
Racism and sexism as a duality present many challenges to the social construction and
perception of black women. One of those challenges includes motherhood. A New York Times
journalist from the 90's is quoted in a collective of bios for the Black
Atlantic, "Roberta Smith describes it as 'One of the most striking
images in the East Coast portion of the Bad Girls exhibition…A
towering self-portrait, it showed the artist, naked except for a pair of
black high heels, holding her two-year-old son…The image presents a
woman, both regal and erotic, who seems singularly disinclined to take
guff from anyone and whose son will undoubtedly grow up to respect Figure 1 Renne Cox. Yo
Mama, 1993

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her gender,'" (Asquith, Fitzpatrick) As society often views motherhood a hindrance to a woman's
career, Cox defies such assumptions by wearing a pair of pumps that enhances her stance in a
domineering and erotic light (Fig. 1). Showing her capability and readiness while she still claims
identity of herself and motherhood. The gaze towards the viewer represents her claim on her
sexuality and identity as a mother. The strong stance and linear juxtaposition of her body
symbolizes masculine energy rather than feminine, which challenges the viewer to piece together
the feminine essence with the masculine body language. In her masculine stance Cox holds her
child as a man would hold a weapon, in this context her child would be a weapon against sexism
because of his respect of women. The black background disappears as the image of Cox and her
child pop out from the photo at center and demanding attention. The viewer is also looking up at
the subject, which heroicizes an erotic yet motherly and masculine Cox. The contrast between
Cox and her son takes attention away from her sexuality and refocuses the viewers attention to
the playful child who is a representation of Cox's identity. The gender aspect of this photograph
breaks so many barriers that the viewer is forced to either accept or reject the empowering
moment that Cox is sharing wiht her child. As for the racial aspect Cox and her child bare all,
skin and hair a physical yet multilayered subject for African Americans. The cultural aspect is
found in the name of the series "Yo Mama" and is reflected in an article, "The phrase 'Yo Mama'
references the vernacular present and the cultural complexities associated with the African -

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American life and motherhood," (Farrington 17). In the name
of the series Cox addresses her African American, or in her
case Jamaican American, which is also associated with
African American culture, roots instead of avoiding her
identity. Embracing and speaking upon her cultural identity is
a powerful tactic because for so long to be Black in America
was loathed. Cox clearly demonstrates afrofemcentric
qualities in "Yo Mama" that empower and celebrate black
women.
The image of the black female in the media has a
history in slave rape culture. The eroticization of black
women started with fascination of colonial men. The legend of the Hottentot Venus is molded
around the abnormal large buttock and breasts of a woman. The Hottentot Venus was a horrid
instance where the genitals of a woman were used in science classes for instruction on the
abnormalities of ethnic women. Also known as Saartjie Baartman, a slave in 19th century South
Africa was approached by Dutch colonizers who promised her a better life. The colonizers
classified her as a “freak show” and that is where she performed as a seemingly free woman. Her
body was subjected to outright humiliation and animalistic
conditions. Abolitionists attempted to release her from her
Figure 2 Renee Cox. HOTT-EN-TOT,
1994.
lifestyle underneath her overseer, Cuvier. Taking stance as an independent and otherwise
coherent being Saartjie claimed in court that she was not under forceful conditions that
disregarded her humanity. Cox chose this as her inspirations for a photograph that she takes of
herself with prosthetic large plastic breasts and buttock found in a costume store (Fig. 2). The bio

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of Cox discusses the Hottentot replication, “Cox also engages more directly with the historical
issues of the Black Atlantic. In the image ‘Hot-en-tot’ Cox poses as Saartje Baartman, also
known as the ‘Hottentot Venus’… looking directly at the viewer, so that they must face
Baartman and face what happened to her,” (Asquith, Fitzpatrick). As Saartjie Baartman’s body
now lays in rest in her home country her spirit can rest because of Cox’s redefinition of the
Hottentot Venus image. Baartman’s spirit is able to speak through Cox’s stare and her pain is
generational that still exists today. The elements of the picture emphasize the importance of the
Hottentot Venus. The curvilinear emphasis of her body undoubtedly portrays a feminine energy
especially in the way she is standing to the side to show her charms. Cox’s stance is standing
upright and head cocked to the side knowingly staring at the viewer. Allowing the viewer to
understand that she knows that her body is being observed. The black and white settings focuses
the viewer on solely Cox. The placement of her hand on her body acknowledges her flesh and
lets the viewer know this is not Cox’s image but the portrayal of a prototyped beauty of the 21 st
century. The transformative portrayal of Saartjie Baartman gives voice to her and other ancestors
who have been through similar stories of extreme objectification. A truly empowering image of a
once almost animalistic woman gains back her humanity through a simple gaze. Cox as a black
woman is allowed to speak through generational trauma and pain without saying a word.
Powerful images create action from an idea that was once an abstract thought.
Controversy does not reverberate until actions are punished and a scene is made. Cox received
lash back from New York City’s mayor at the time of her exhibition of Yo Mama’s Last Supper
in 2001 at the Brooklyn Museum (Fig. 3). An article discusses the mishap of Cox’s artwork and
Mayor Guillani, “accused it and Cox of being anti-Catholic and without artistic merit…When, in
his typically bombastic style, Guiliani announced the formation of a commission to
Figure 3. Renee
Cox, Yo Mama’s
Last Supper, 1996.

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censor government- funded art,” (Williams). Cox’s intention was not to seem anti-Catholic but to
narrate her experience as a baptized catholic and the lack of self-reflection where religious
images had heavy emphasis on white imagery. For what seemed controversial proved to be
empowering. Instead of a white male Jesus sitting in the center, Cox replaces the image with
herself nude and standing tall. The all-inclusive biography of Cox explores the reasoning of Yo
Mama’s Last Supper, "Cox also challenged traditional views of Western art history, where there
is little acknowledgment of black people, in her photographic series Flipping the Script. …The
disciples are all black except Judas, who is white. (Asquith, Fitzpatrick). Having an all black cast
challenges the status quo of current European American religious affiliation and
conceptualization of historical and holy beings. Now Cox gets to see her people as holy and
divine where as African American's are not reflected in the catholic religious as abundantly as
White Americans. There are sections of panels in a series that completes a whole Last Supper
depiction. The whole collection of images depicts a different scene with the different back drop
colors. For instance Cox's backdrop color is a yellow-goldish which portrays an enlightening and
biblical essence that supports her center and divine like stance. Her arms are open as if in
surrender and acceptance of her people. Instead of a white man as the institutions savior, Cox
challenges the viewer to surrender to a black woman.
Cox's portrayal of the black female by using her naked body and personal experiences
entitles her work to Afrofemcentrism. Her genuine concern for issues surrounding the black
female challenges the viewer because her concern in her art reflects the boundaries that she
breaks and claims. In "Yo Mama" Cox invites the viewer to embrace motherhood in a masculine
light, especially in the context of heroicizing a black woman. Cox has a tendency to center her
and the image of black women in a celebratory light. The history and relevance exudes in her

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dedicated Hott-en-tot photograph. Emotion is greater experienced in the Hottentot picture
because the viewer is forced to recognize the pain of Saartjie Baartman. The gaze is the most
important aspect of Cox's demonstration because without the gaze the viewer just see's her body,
which has been done for so long. Cox becomes the present advocate for Saartjie Baartman’s
generational trauma and prototyped beauty. Lastly, Yo Mama's Last Supper challenges society
so much that the effect of Cox's art evoked the Mayor of New York to censor public art. She had
no mal-intent in the process of this piece of work but to merely create a dialogue where African
Americans were seen in a positive religious setting. The powerful essence of Yo Mama's Last
Supper is the regal and welcoming embrace that Cox reaches out to her viewer. Race and gender
is a constant issue Cox revolves around. The positive image of a black woman invites the viewer
to explore the roles black women play in their psyche and why this image may bring comfort or
discomfort.

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Works Cited
Asquith, Wendy, and Hannah-Grace Fitzpatrick. "Black Atlantic Resource: Information-People:
Renee Cox." University of Liverpool. N.p., n.d. Web. 5 May 2014.
<http://www.liv.ac.uk/black-atlantic/information/renee_cox/>.
Farrington, Lisa E. "Reinventing Herself: The Black Female Nude." Women's Art Journal
(2003): 15-23. Print.
Farris, Phoebe. Women Artists of Color: A Bio-critical Sourcebook to 20th Century Artists. N.p.:
Greenwood Publishing Group, 1999. Print.
Williams, Stacey. "Wonder woman at the Brooklyn Museum: aftermath." International Review
of African American Art [serial on the internet] 17.4 (2001): 43. Print.