The Kitchen Table Series: Text Sheet

1990

The Kitchen Table Series: Text Sheet, 1990. Carrie Mae Weems (American, b. 1953). Letter press text; mounted: 35.5 x 35.5 cm (14 x 14 in.); paper: 8 x 8 cm (3 1/8 x 3 1/8 in.). The Cleveland Museum of Art, Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2008.116.21 © Carrie Mae Weems. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. In Untitled (Kitchen Table Series) Carrie Mae Weems staged and photographed a fictional drama, playing the lead role herself. In the context of a simple setting that remains constant—the artist’s own kitchen table—the series explores the
shifting roles occupied by the strong central female character: lover, friend, and mother. Together the images and texts suggest that while the woman is many things to others, she is first and foremost rooted in herself. The authority of the protagonist in Untitled (Kitchen Table Series) has had an enduring impact for over three decades since this iconic work was created.