Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (Woman and daughter with makeup), 1990, printed 2003, 20 in. × 20 in., platinum print, National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.
Carrie Mae Weems, Untitled (Woman and daughter with makeup)
This photograph is a part of Weems’ Kitchen Table Series. Weems chose to photograph herself and others sitting at her own kitchen table in an attempt to construct her own image, saying “I realized at a certain moment that I could not count on white men to construct images of myself that I would find appealing or useful or meaningful or complex.” Weems also suggests her body is a “stand-in” to represent all women. In this scene, the daughter mirrors the actions of her mother, presenting a younger and miniature reflection. The mirror in front of the mother is positioned toward the viewer, inviting us to join them and fill the empty seat.
Weems comments on the dynamic between femininity, motherhood, and the relationship between mother and daughter. As the daughter mimics the mother, she does not look to her senior for guidance. This suggests the transfer of femininity is innate. The mother serves as a role model for her daughter, teaching her to perform femininity and adopt the expected traits of the contemporary mother who can “do it all.”