Shaunte' Levine's perfect metaphor
An exhibition about humor and memory invites viewers to contribute their own meaning
“Go’n Grab Your Little Purse,” a solo exhibition by Shaunte’ Levine
May 10-28 at Harvester Arts, 215 N. Washington, Wichita (by appointment)
At first, I was a little confused. I walked into Harvester Arts during the opening reception for Shaunte’ Levine’s “Go’n Grab Your Little Purse” and glanced around to see what appeared to be nine identical images on the walls.
The exhibition does revolve around a single linoleum print of a young Black girl carrying an outsized bag over her shoulder. But using glitter, fabric, vinyl, and other materials, the artist transformed each identical print into a visually distinct series.
That takes a moment to sink in, though — an effect I found rather delightful. The setup invites the viewer to consider and reconsider both the image and the narrative it represents, which the artist reveals in her exhibition statement:
One of my favorite stories of a younger Shaunte’ comes from my Uncle Lionel and his deep strong voice that would carry across any room we were in as he recounted my silliness. ‘You know Shawn-tay,’ he would say in his thick accent, ‘when you was little, you used to follow me round everywhere and you used ta carry round this purse that would be dragging behind ya cuz the strap was so long and you was too little!!!’
This story, along with the laughter that accompanied it, inspired this current body of work which is an exploration of memory, humor and that silly little girl who still walks with me.
Levine uses a light touch here, sharing the inspiration behind the exhibition without explaining how we should feel about it. The image itself does the rest of the work, inviting viewers to make their own connections and draw their own conclusions.
The visual metaphor is the source of the power in “Go’n Grab Your Little Purse.” I can’t think of many images more evocative than a little girl proudly toting a handbag designed for someone nearly twice as tall.
Purses are largely the purview of women, of course, conveyances for the important artifacts of adult life: wallet, keys, makeup, tissues, gum, and on and on. A little girl with a purse can be assured of her own importance in the world. She might fairly sparkle in the presence of a beloved uncle.
The girl in the print sparkles, too: Levine used glitter to cover her skin and hair, turning her into silhouettes of purple, black, gold, and bronze. Here, she carries not just one purse, but a whole closetful in different shapes, sizes, materials, all of which are recognizable to anyone who purchased accessories around the turn of the century. She has a tote, a shiny vinyl baguette, a couple of sparkly bags to match her spirit, monogrammed bags to match her name. Even a coveted (and logo’d) designer handbag.
I’ve thought a lot about what we carry with us as children, what we discard, and what we tote into adulthood since I first viewed “Go’n Grab Your Little Purse.” Maybe that’s too much to put onto an exhibition about humor, memory and a “silly little girl.” But the simplicity and strength of the central image invites that kind of meaning-making.
There’s still (a little bit of) time to see “Go’n Grab Your Little Purse.” To arrange for a viewing, email info@harvesterarts.org or contact the artist directly at 316-285-9283.
Coda: Kamela Eaton’s “In My Mother’s Bag”
You cannot possibly imagine my delight when I encountered this painting a few days after first seeing “Go’n Grab Your Little Purse.” It’s on view at Mulberry Art Gallery, located on the second floor of the Revolutsia shipping container mall at 2721 E. Central Ave. in Wichita. Stop by to see it from noon to 6 p.m. Tuesday-Saturday.
News & Notes
Meghan Miller’s “Breathing Fire” inaugurates in a new space at the Wichita Art Museum designed to showcase local artists. The campfire-themed installation will be on view through Aug. 25. ICYMI: I wrote about Meghan and Mike Miller for the Wichita Eagle last summer.
The Wichita Art Museum is selling its Henry Moore sculpture to a private collector in a non-public sale, news which has been greeted with mixed emotions. The subject of deaccessioning fascinates me, and I hope to revisit this topic later on.
Four Wichita organizations received funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Wichita announced in a Facebook post yesterday.
Events on my radar
Not an exhaustive list by any stretch, but here are a few events I hope to attend over the next couple weeks:
Opening reception for “POST PHOTO,” 6 p.m. Friday, May 26, at Candela at the Lux
The second annual Asian Night Market, 5-10 p.m. Saturday, May 27, at Riverfront Stadium (advanced ticket sales encouraged)
Piano Painting with Hallie Linnebur, 6-8 p.m. Friday, June 2, at the Wichita Art Museum
Chain to River 2.0, an “art walk and performance,” 1:45 p.m. Sunday, June 4, starting at Chainlink Gallery Place, 121 E. Douglas Ave. Participants will walk to Exploration Gallery Place (outside Exploration Place).
What arts events are you looking forward to this summer? Let me know in the comments.
More soon,
Emily