San Fransico Exhibition: Museum of African Diaspora featuring Mary Graham, Value Test: Brown Paper

Vianne De Santiago, April 5th 2024

    During my visit to San Fransico, I went to the Museum of the African Diaspora. The museum is located at 685 Mission St. The museum showcases the history, art, and culture of African people. The current exhibit on their second level is about emerging artist, Mary Graham. With my student ID, my ticket cost $15.

    Mary Graham's work through this exhibition explores racism, colorism, and classism towards the Black community. The essence of the value test was an entry test for elite spaces of upper-class Black people. Those accepted into these spaces had to have skin lighter than a brown paper bag. Through her work, she displays the variations of skin color Black people obtain and compares them to the test of a brown paper bag. By putting these portraits on the material of paper bags, the viewer can understand the colorism, racism, and classism behind this type of test. 

    While the collection of artworks follows the same composition format, the different portraits bring complexity to the works. From the range of portraits, the viewer can understand the colorism and racism rooted in this test.

    When I was viewing these portraits, they drew me in. The sizes of them helped drive the importance of her emphasis. My favorite portrait from the collection was Purnden, 2023. Out of all the portraits she had the darkest skin, this portrait alone could display her concentration. Having these portraits on brown paper bags helps the viewer understand how limited the acceptance is and how impactful colorism is. The material’s texture makes the piece more interesting compared to being on canvas. 

    These portraits were made from 2022 to 2023, Graham gives us a contemporary take on the history of racism, colorism, and classism towards the Black community.