Post-Black and the Art of Identity

This paper examines the term Post-Black and its use in the study of visual culture. The term is defined in the context of a 2001 art exhibition in Harlem, New York City. However, Post-Black is part of a much larger history of blackness and is a critique to notions of blackness established by previous generations throughout Westernized Black cultural development. Beyond defining what Post-Black is--a way of characterizing the changing attitudes surrounding Black identity, specifically with regards to artistic practice, towards the end of the 20th century--this paper endeavors to historicize the term by regarding it as a response to definitions of an "authentic" Black experience. Post-Black is applied to different artistic practices from the last 30 years where the term appears to be a successful characterization of the individual’s experiences engaging with blackness. Additionally, the shortcomings of the term are also touched upon. The paper attempts to celebrate the term’s spirit of inclusivity and artistic freedom.