Portrait of Qusuquzah

Mickalene Thomas

2008

Chromogenic print

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Portrait of Qusuquzah, (2008) is a primary example of Mickalene Thomas’ mastery with photography. Both pose and composition of the photograph are layered with carefully articulated references ranging from the paintings of Édouard Manet to the Blaxploitation films of the 1970’s. To create the photograph, Thomas situated a model in the artist’s Brooklyn studio: in a dress and with accessories from 1970s, seated on a sofa decorated with ‘70s style tapestries and patterned cushions, in front of a wood-paneled wall, installed with jackets of LP records by African American artists (e.g., Diana Ross). Thomas’ work centers on themes of race