Carrie Mae Weems, one of the most significant contemporary artists exploring race, identity, and power, is presenting one of her latest series, “Painting the Town,” at Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco. This thought-provoking body of work stems from Weems’s return to her hometown of Portland, Oregon, in the wake of the social uprisings following George Floyd’s murder in 2020. Commissioned by National Geographic, Weems documented the city’s response, capturing an urban landscape that had been transformed by protests, police intervention, and the visual remnants of civic unrest.
“Painting the Town” is centered on a striking set of large-scale color photographs that depict the boarded-up storefronts of Portland. These buildings, initially covered with powerful graffiti messages from protestors, were later painted over by city officials in subdued, neutral colors—an act that Weems interprets as an erasure of political expression. Through her lens, these blank, monochromatic facades take on the appearance of abstract paintings, akin to the works of Mark Rothko or Barnett Newman. However, the context imbues them with a deeper, more urgent political meaning.
The series highlights the intersection of art, activism, and control. While the city sought to sanitize public space by covering up dissent, Weems transforms these newly muted surfaces into artworks that still hold the weight of their past inscriptions. The viewer is left to wonder: what was written beneath the paint? What voices have been silenced? These questions linger, underscoring the tension between public memory and institutional attempts at forgetting.
Weems has long been known for her ability to weave history, race, and identity into her work, and “Painting the Town” is no exception. By presenting these repainted facades as compositions in their own right, she calls attention to the ways in which power structures shape urban environments and regulate visibility. The work also speaks to a broader history of erasure in America, where marginalized voices and movements have often been literally and metaphorically painted over.
In an interview discussing the series, Weems remarked on how deeply affected she was by witnessing the altered streets of Portland. Having grown up there, she was familiar with the city’s landscape, yet the boarded-up and repainted buildings created a surreal, almost post-apocalyptic atmosphere. She was struck by how the streets, once filled with protest energy, had been neutralized into something eerily calm yet visually compelling. “I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, I immediately knew that it was of profound importance,” Weems said. “Artists have certain kinds of responsibilities, and I’m in one of those positions where my work is being embraced, acknowledged in a profound way, and I have a responsibility to step up and to speak in a very particular way.”
Beyond its aesthetic and political commentary, “Painting the Town” also raises questions about the role of photography in documenting and preserving moments of historical significance. Weems’s work functions as both an artistic exploration and a historical archive, ensuring that even as cities attempt to erase certain narratives, they remain visible through art.
The series stands as a powerful continuation of Weems’s lifelong engagement with issues of race and justice. By transforming seemingly ordinary cityscapes into evocative political statements, she reminds us that the fight for visibility and recognition is ongoing—and that even silence can speak volumes.
« Painting the town », by Carrie Mae Weems, is exhibited at Fraenkel Gallery in San Francisco, until February 22, 2025.
