[close] This book explores "The Louisiana Project," a new work by the noted artist Carrie Mae Weems that was commissioned as part of the bicentennial celebrations surrounding the commemoration of the Louisiana Purchase. Weems has a distinguished career as a photographer interested in history and social critique and her work frequently addresses questions of race, class, and gender.

"The Louisiana Project" incorporates still photography, narrative, and video projection as part of an examination of the complex history of New Orleans and the "commingling culture" that has resulted. Photographs use the symbolism of the mirror as a means of reflection on a particular region and its history, on attitudes about blackness, as well as sexual identity. In another group of images Weems places herself in a variety of locations—plantations, railroad tracks, and chemical plants—as a witness to the experience of African Americans. The video considers a triad of relationships between white men, white women, and women of color played out as a sort of shadow dance.

Susan Cahan places "The Louisiana Project" within the framework of Weems' career, exploring the artist's methods and objectives. Pamela Metzger gives insight into the legal paradoxes and obsessions in the construction of racial identity in Louisiana. [close]