As the end of Pride Month approaches, it is crucial to recognise the artistic contributions of queer individuals who challenge traditional narratives and perspectives. In the realm of contemporary art, one name that stands out is Mickalene Thomas. With her bold reinterpretation of iconic works like Édouard Manet's Olympia and Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe, Thomas offers a unique representation from a black and queer perspective, simultaneously engaging with queer theory. In this article, we will delve into Thomas' artistic journey and explore how she reshapes the art world through her powerful and inclusive vision.
Édouard Manet, Olympia, 1863, Oil on canvas, 130 x 190 cm.
Thomas, a renowned contemporary artist, has made significant contributions to the art world with her distinctive style and vision. Known for her mixed-media works that combine painting, photography, and installations, Thomas explores themes of identity, gender, race, and sexuality. The resulting works are rich and textured compositions that draw viewers into her artworks.
In A little taste of Outside Love, a compelling artistic reimagining, Mickalene Thomas takes inspiration from Manet's masterpiece, Olympia. This iconic work is deconstructed and rebuilt to create a representation from a black and queer perspective. “History removed them from the conversation,” she says. Thomas decided to do a rewriting of her own, placing black women in the same poses as some of western art’s most famous works. Drawing inspiration from the Black Power Movement, and her mother’s photographs from the 1970s, she portrays a black woman as the main character in an updated version of an established visual archetype — a sexualised female subject caught unaware. Manet’s nude is turned on its head.
Mickalene Thomas, A Little Taste Outside of Love, 2007, Acrylic, enamel and rhinestones on wood panel, 274.3 x 365.8 cm. Image courtesy Brooklyn Museum.
Thomas challenges the traditional canon by providing visibility and agency to marginalised identities. By reappropriating Manet's paintings, she disrupts the historical narrative and introduces new dimensions of queerness and blackness into the art discourse. Through her work, Thomas actively participates in queer theory's mission of deconstructing and redefining societal structures.
Thomas' art not only challenges the existing art canon but also celebrates intersectionality by emphasising the experiences of black queer individuals. Her representations reflect the complexities and diversity of identities, encouraging dialogue and understanding. Through her work, Thomas contributes to a broader conversation about inclusivity and the importance of representation. She celebrates queer and black identities mainly through four of the most significant muses in Thomas’s work spanning 2001–2018: her late mother, Sandra; her former girlfriends Maya and Racquel, and the artist herself.
A still from Je t’aime, 2014. Image courtesy Financial Times.
In her series of works titled Je t'aime, Thomas delves into the themes of intimacy, self-expression, and self-love using herself as one of the main characters. Thomas has also ceded the camera — and the power of the gaze — to her sitter. In this video series Thomas and her muse/then partner Racquel Chevremont take turns filming one another. Realised in the classic film noir aesthetic, the immersive-multichannel video installation is romantic and voyeuristic. It’s a love story filmed in both Paris and Connecticut. Je t'aime presents an black women embracing black queer love. “So she’s presenting how she sees me as well,” Thomas says. “We’re both nude. It’s how two lovers are seeing each other.”
Thomas challenges established narratives and invites viewers to question traditional representations and offers audiences a perspective from a black and queer lens, shedding light on underrepresented identities and challenging the traditional art canon. As Pride Month comes to its end, let us acknowledge and appreciate the profound impact of artists like Mickalene Thomas, who amplify the voices and experiences of the LGBTQ+ community through their extraordinary creativity and vision.