Vanishing Point

Vanishing Point sees Barbara Walker explore the visibility of Black subjects in Western European paintings within major international public art collections by placing the Black figure at the centre of each work.

For this series of works Walker used original source materials made by Old Master or paintings described as classical Western art, specifically those made from the Renaissance period through to the Dutch Golden Age. Walker purposefully focuses on scenes with Black subjects, who are often depicted in the role of slaves, servants or attendants. In this series of works Walker ‘erases’ the white figures in the pictures either by embossing them out and leaving a blank sheet of white paper onto which she draws the Black figures in graphite and the occasional touch of colour. In some drawings other parts of the image, such as the landscape or skies, are also reconstructed through drawing. Or through the layering of mylar paper over the white subjects, spotlighting through curved cutting the black figure in the image.

The final pieces subtly draw attention to the Black figure, demonstrating artistic and historical erasure and inviting contemplation on how history is made and unmade.

Thanks to The Evelyn Williams Drawing Award in association with the Jerwood Drawing Prize 2017 and loans from the National Gallery made possible by the Garfield Weston Foundation and Art Fund.