Talladega College recently hosted an inspiring session of the Brown Bag Lecture Series featuring Dr. Rachelle Williams, assistant professor of Humanities and director of the Writing Center. Titled “Talking Back: Black Artists Who Confront Master Narratives,” the lecture captivated attendees with an insightful exploration of how Black artists challenge and reinterpret the so-called “master narrative” embedded in canonical artworks.
“Today, we are going to be celebrating one of Talladega’s own, not only one of our professors but one of Talladega’s own alumni. Ms. Williams is an awarded scholar and a prestigious intellectual within the fine arts world as well as the literary arts. For so many years up until now, so many black artists were either excluded from the narrative of fine arts or were thought to be creating ‘outsider art’ or other art, or they came up with things called the ‘black arts movement’ because they couldn’t be a part of the modernist art movement. They had to be doing something separate, and so there has become a narrative that has grown up around access and legitimacy and who is an actual artist, and what is [considered] art and who gets to participate in it. I think it’s a conversation that needs to be had more often, and I’m so thankful we are having it today,” said Patrick Trice, interim director of the William R. Harvey Museum of Art.
Dr. Williams was introduced to the world of Fine Arts and Women’s Studies during graduate school at the University of Maryland College Park. “It started with professors, like Dr. Elsa Barkley Brown and writers like Toni Morrison and bell hooks and books like The Bluest Eye and Talking Back, which have all informed why I think about these types of things and how I think about them,” she said.
She began by outlining the historical dominance of the “master narrative,” which often elevates the perspectives and artistic creations of figures like Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Picasso, Édouard Manet, and Claude Monet while marginalizing others. She invited the audience to reconsider these celebrated works through a critical lens, examining how Black artists engage with them in transformative ways. “What are Black artists doing differently with these works?” she asked. “And how are they reinterpreting them?”
One of the most compelling examples Dr. Williams presented was Beyoncé and Jay-Z’s music video Apes**, filmed at the Louvre. This bold artistic statement juxtaposes the traditionally Eurocentric art housed in the museum with the commanding presence of two Black cultural icons. Dr. Williams explained how the video challenges established notions of beauty, history, and identity, offering a powerful recontextualization of the art on display.
Williams also discussed Faith Ringgold’s Dancing at the Louvre, which juxtaposes vibrant scenes of Black joy against the backdrop of iconic European art, and Mickalene Thomas’ reinterpretation of Monet’s Luncheon on the Grass, which centers Black femininity and empowerment. Robert Colescott’s The Women of Alabama reimagines Picasso’s works to critique racial and cultural stereotypes, while Harmonia Rosales’ The Creation of God offers a profound reworking of Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel masterpiece by centering Black women in divine roles. Titus Kaphar’s art, meanwhile, often alters classical portraits to highlight overlooked histories and systemic inequalities.
During her discussion about reinterpreting canonical works, Williams implies it isn’t just about questioning their place in history via their artistic mediums, but she implored the audience to broaden our understanding of race, gender, history, and sexuality within the construction of identity contextually.
“I also like to think about the ways in which, in doing so, you also reconsider issues of race, gender, sexuality, beauty, history [in the United States] and identity,” she said. Dr. Williams further highlighted how these reinterpretations dismantle traditional power dynamics, allowing audiences to see familiar works in a new light while addressing issues of representation and exclusion.
The lecture concluded with a lively discussion as attendees reflected on the implications of this artistic dialogue. Students and faculty alike expressed their appreciation for Dr. Williams’ thought-provoking presentation, which underscored the importance of critical engagement with art and the narratives it perpetuates.
Talladega College’s Brown Bag Lecture Series continues to serve as a dynamic platform for intellectual exchange, fostering conversations that resonate far beyond the classroom. Dr. Williams’ lecture was a vivid reminder of how art can be a powerful medium for confronting history and envisioning a more inclusive future.
