Sonya Clark Madam Walker Hair, 2011 Madam C.J. Walker (b. 1867 – 1919) was one of the first self-made women millionaires. Born as Sarah Breedlove, she is more commonly known by the same name that she titled her hair care company. Like many women in her era, Walker struggled with scalp disease due to the inability to wash it frequently. After testing a number of home remedies and store-bought products, she concocted her own recipes for shampoo and ointment. Her inventiveness and entrepreneurship resulted in a beauty and hair care empire focused on the needs of African Americans. By composing her portrait in hairballs, Clark monumentalizes Walker in the medium that best commemorates her role in American history.
Penny Portrait Sonya Clark 2011, digital print, 42” x 67”
Madam Walker Hair Sonya Clark 2011, digital print, 42” x 67”
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Sonya Clark Interaction of Color, 2011
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In this work, Clark reinvents the cover of Josef Albers’ celebrated book on color theory, entitled Interaction of Color. Published in 1963, the text conveys the fundamental notion that all colors are relative depending on their context. In Clark’s hands, the title of the piece refers to the complexity of race relations.
nd embroidery, 4” x 6”
Iterations Sonya Clark 2011, combs, 120” x 60” x 96”
While the image exemplifies Albers’ artistic vision, the medium chosen proves emblematic of his wife’s oeuvre. Anni Albers was a renowned textile artist, who experimented with raw and innovative materials in her weaving process. So, while this piece may be read as a unified homage to both artists, the medium possesses a meaning special to Clark. By transforming combs into a textile, Clark merges her passions for hairdressing and textile making.
Interaction of Color Sonya Clark 2011, combs and thread, 15” x 20” 25