EVENT ANNOUNCEMENT

DATE: 1-5 p.m. weekdays, March 11-April 29, 2016

EXHIBITION: “Color Code: Conundrums and Complexities” showcases the recent work of mixed-media artist and U-M Stamps School of Art & Design professor Marianetta Porter.

Porter’s work is grounded in the study of African-American history, culture and representation—drawing on ethnography, religious traditions, folklore, visual culture and language to investigate the consequences of the trans-Atlantic slave trade, the vernacular art of the black church, the politics of visibility and the poetics of color.

The exhibition speaks to the conundrums and complexities of the color question, exploring the codes (social, racial, legal, etc.) that frame racial identity and define blackness in our everyday lives.

The exhibition takes its name from a diptych titled “Color Code” (2015), which juxtaposes a square cut from a brown paper bag with the words “color code.” It alludes to the test used during the first half of the 20th century to determine whether a person’s skin was light enough to enter an African-American fraternity, social club or party. Like the exhibition, the work draws attention to loaded codes and social values hidden within African-American experience and history.

“Color Code: Conundrums and Complexities” is accompanied by a full-color catalog that presents the work featured in the show, an introduction by curator Franc Nunoo-Quarcoo (U-M Stamps School), a conversation between Porter and David Doris (U-M Stamps School, Afroamerican and African Studies, History of Art), and essays by Martha Jones (History, Afroamerican and African Studies, Law) and Arlene Keizer (University of California, Irvine).

The opening reception is 4-6 p.m. March 11. Porter will give a public lecture at 5 p.m. March 23 at 4701 Haven Hall.

PLACE: GalleryDAAS, located on the ground floor of Haven Hall (Room G648), 505 S. State St., Ann Arbor

INFORMATION: The exhibition is free and open to the public. Visit myumi.ch/J2oxP

SPONSORS: The exhibition and activities of GalleryDAAS, a space for dialog about black art and life, are made possible by support from the Office of the Dean, College of Literature, Science, and the Arts, as well as the Department of Afroamerican and African Studies and the African Studies Center.