Critical Discourse

Kehinde Wiley, The Two Sisters, 2012, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ohio.

Reading about different types of historical theory can be daunting and leave one feeling ill-prepared to have educational discourse about contemporary works of art. When this feeling hits it is good to remind yourself that history and discourse will meet you where you are. Theories are there to guide you, not hold you back. For example, when discussing works of art with high school students or general education undergraduate students, concepts of positivism and empiricism may never enter the conversation, but facts, history, the artist’s intention, and feelings will play heavily in the dialogue. Through these discussions preconceived meanings may be reinforced. Alternately, class discourse may lead to an entire reconstruction of the image changing its meaning entirely. This is what theory is all about. “In a broader way, “theory” is anything that helps you think better about a subject, enlarges your perspective, and helps you formulate new questions.” (D’Alleva 6) Lets expand on this concept by looking at The Two Sisters by artist Kehinde Wiley. Wiley uses pastiche to convey cultural meaning which makes for a lively class discussion. By reimagining historical European paintings with contemporary subjects and wrapping them in eye-catching floral patterns Wiley has forced the viewer to stop and take notice. He’s encouraging them to look around and ask themselves, which of these is not like the other? To expand on this question further by asking why? Why aren’t there more realistic figurative paintings of Black protagonists in museums? Kehinde is deconstructing meaning with his works. The original painting had a defined theory based on time and place and the original author’s beliefs and intentions. The image pictured here was based on The’odore Chasse’riau’s 1843 double portrait of his sisters in the Louvre of the same title. Foucault stated that “discourse is interwoven with power relations and social practices” (D’Alleva 8) This idea is very evident in Wiley’s work. In The Two Sisters we are no longer looking at an image of two Caucasian sisters demonstrating Chasse’riau’s high attention to detail and realism. Instead, we are confronted with two statuesque Black women with skin that glows and dressed in fabric that gives them an ethereal quality. The pose coupled with the bold floral patterns presents a regal and powerful image for the viewer. With this image, power relations are shifting. Wiley is changing the narrative of the original document by bringing an entirely different discussion into the museum space. Empiricism speaks to the important role that observation, experience, and the senses play in theory. (D’Alleva 12) Viewing a work by Kehinde Wiley in a museum setting will assuredly affect the theoretical interpretation of the work. One does not walk through a museum taking in the European works of art and not see how clearly his work stands out. His message is subtle and wrapped in a beautiful and technically sound composition. This is what gives his documents resonance.

Works Cited:

D’Alleva, Anne. Methods & Theories of Art History. Laurence King Publishing, 2012, pp. 6, 8, 12.

Morris, Kadish. Artist Kehinde Wiley: ‘The new work is about what it feels like to be young, Black and alive in the 21st century’. The Guardian, theguardian.com/artanddesign/2021/nov/21/artist-kehinde-wiley-prelude-national-gallery-interview. Accessed 26 August 2023.

Wiley, Kehinde. “The Two Sisters”, 2012, Cincinnati Art Museum, Cincinnati Ohio. Accessed 18 February 2023.