Black Bodies, White Gold: Art, Cotton, and Commerce in the Atlantic World

In Black Bodies,White Gold, Anna Arabindan-Kesson explores how cotton, a commodity associated with slavery and colonialism, was intertwined with art, commerce, and colonialism in the 19th century Atlantic world. She demonstrates how artistic renderings of cotton became tied to the monetary value of Black bodies, and how visuality was used to equate Blackness and cotton as resources for extraction. Arabindan-Kesson also engages with contemporary artists who address the commercial and imperial processes shaping constructions of Blackness and meanings of labor.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 320 pages
\n Publication date: 14 May 2021
\n Publisher: Duke University Press
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In her groundbreaking work, "Black Bodies, White Gold," Anna Arabindan-Kesson delves into the intricate connections between art, commerce, and colonialism in the nineteenth-century Atlantic world, utilizing the humble cotton as a focal point for reimagining these interwoven narratives. By adopting an art historical approach that centers the histories of the Black diaspora, Arabindan-Kesson offers a novel perspective on nineteenth-century cultural production. Through her meticulous research, she traces the emergence of a speculative vision that shaped perceptions of Blackness, where artistic representations of cotton, both as a commodity and a material, became inextricably linked to the monetary value of Black bodies.

From the production and representation of "negro cloth," the textile worn by enslaved plantation workers, to depictions of Black sharecroppers in photographs and paintings, Arabindan-Kesson demonstrates how visuality played a pivotal role in equating Blackness and cotton as resources for extraction. Moreover, she engages with contemporary artists like Hank Willis Thomas, Lubaina Himid, and Yinka Shonibare CBE RA, who critically examine the commercial and imperial processes that shape constructions of Blackness and the meanings associated with labor.

Through her profound exploration, Arabindan-Kesson challenges us to reassess the historical narratives surrounding cotton and its role in perpetuating colonialism and exploitation. Her work sheds light on the complex intersections of art, commerce, and power, illuminating the ways in which these forces shaped the experiences and identities of Black people in the nineteenth-century Atlantic world. "Black Bodies, White Gold" is a seminal contribution to the field of art history, offering a fresh perspective on the complexities of race, labor, and cultural production during this pivotal period.

\n Weight: 972g\n
Dimension: 179 x 253 x 27 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781478014065\n \n