INTERPRETING AFRICA
Africa of the 4 Continents Monuments in NYC Four of the photographs curated in my recent issue entitled “Our Cotton” are of a beautiful figurative marble sculpture of “Africa”, one of 4 monuments called “The Four Continents” that greet visitors at the front of the Alexander Hamilton US Custom House in Bowling Green, now serving as the National Museum of the American Indian. I specifically shot the monument for its artistic beauty and included it because the theme aligns with the ongoing mission of my project; which is to explore the ways Black culture is embraced while the creators of that culture are not. That culture I call cotton and how do people love “Our Cotton.” The work is an allegorical depiction of Africa personified by a half-clothed woman with slight African features who appears exhausted, a stark difference to the other 3 figurative monuments also featuring female forms and representing “Asia, America and Europe.” It was shown to the public in 1905 so I had no illusio...
