Deana Lawson's "Garden of Eden" and other Black cultural histories

ALPHA OMEGA ARTS
"The Garden" (2014) by Deana Lawson. Gemena, DR Congo, 2014.
© Deana Lawson. Courtesy of Rhona Hoffman Gallery, Chicago.
ILLINOIS---New York-based photographer Deana Lawson starts her process by researching communities she has chosen for their cultural histories. The resulting images are often inspired by multiple trips or planned well in advance. They draw upon Western and African diasporic conventions of self-presentation, popular culture, mythology, and religious rituals and beliefs—emphasizing dialogues among the past, present, and future of black culture.

The Art Institute of Chicago: "Deana Lawson: Ruttenberg Contemporary Photography Series" (Sept. 5, 2015 to Jan. 10, 2016); 111 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Ill; (312) 443-3600; artic.edu