The depiction of blackness in American art has been such a highly scrutinized topic in both artistic production and museum exhibitions that one could ask, ‘what else is there to examine that hasn’t already been sufficiently analyzed?’ Black Like Who? answers that inquiry with a question that considers who renders imagery of blackness and contemplates the various reasons why. Drawing on the Birmingham Museum of Art’s collection and select loans from Birmingham private collectors, the exhibition surveys a variety of historical and contemporary works by both white and black artists, and explores how various representations of blacks in American art have been influenced at particular moments by specific political, cultural, and aesthetic interests, as well as the motives and beliefs of the artists. At a time when audiences are openly questioning and challenging mass

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