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Staging scenes of visibility and authority to reflect on the black body as a former commodity
These newly commissioned works were staged at Belmont Mansion in Tennessee, and form a part of C. Rose Smith’s series Talking Back to Power. Smith’s evocative black and white self-portraits revolve around the white cotton shirt, staged at locations affiliated with the wealth generated from cotton plantations in the Southern United States of America.
Belmont Mansion is a stark reminder of the history of forced labour in the American South. When it was built by enslaved people and European immigrants in 1850 for Isaac Franklin and Adelcia Acklen, it was the largest home in the state of Tennessee prior to the American Civil War. Franklin and his business partner, John Armfield, were deeply involved in the slave trade. Their operations extended across several Southern states, and they became the most prolific traffickers of enslaved people, profiting from the sale and separation of families. Following Franklin’s death Adelcia Acklen continued to benefit from the wealth amassed from exploitation.
Emulating the formal compositions of nineteenth-century oil paintings, Smith’s portraits powerfully reflect on the black body as a former commodity. Her unwavering gaze commands attention, underscored by the echoing sound of the bell chiming at Belmont Mansion in Tennessee. Smith’s confronting presence demands visibility as an act of resistance.
These works were commissioned by Autograph, London and FotoFest, Houston.
Untitled no. 89, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
Untitled no. 90, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
Untitled no. 94, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
Untitled no. 93, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
Untitled no. 95, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
Untitled no. 91, Belmont Mansion, Nashville, TN
C. Rose Smith (born 1995), is a visual artist examining the role of photography in constructing the layers of identity and individuality.
Using fashion, site-specificity and elements gleaned from studio-portraiture, her photographs engender a subversive performance that gestures a critique of social norms. Her work has been exhibited in group exhibitions in the U.S. and Europe, and is held in private collections. Smith is an MFA candidate in Photography at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester, NY and earned a BFA in Photography from Savannah College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA. She is based in Memphis, TN.
13 Jun – 12 Oct 2024
A free exhibition confronting the histories of violence and wealth on cotton plantations in the Southern United States, and proposing a reclamation of black visibility.
Introducing the artist and key themes in the new exhibition
Read blog post | 4 min readThe artist in conversation with exhibition curator Bindi Vora
Read blog post | 8 min read Belmont Mansion (2023) from the series Talking Back to Power is commissioned by Autograph, London and FotoFest, Houston.
All images by C. Rose Smith, courtesy the artist.
Autograph is a place to see things differently. Since 1988, we have championed photography that explores issues of race, identity, representation, human rights and social justice, sharing how photographs reflect lived experiences and shape our understanding of ourselves and others.
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