Bought a print I love, DH is worried it's racist

[NC4T]

Saw it on IG and loved it. Purchased it for the laundry room corridor, but it's arrived and DH is a little worried it might be racist. I can't see how. To me, it's a mum finding a few minutes of calm in the chaos and I love her babies little sleeping face.

We are white Jewish, for cultural context.

What do you think?

I don't think it's racist I do though think it's pretty bad why would you want that in your house?.

Battleax, but it is a piece of art and doesn't need to depict only things that are 'likely' to happen in RL, surely?

Battleax, but it is a piece of art and doesn't need to depict only things that are 'likely' to happen in RL, surely?

Exactly, and as it’s depicting something a bit out of the ordinary (deliberately, as it turns out- to provoke) , viewers will ascribe meaning or try to divine the artist’s intent. Which is uncomfortable with this piece.

I was very suspicious of the intent when I saw it. So were others. Yet others thought it was innocent.

So why would Op risk displaying it alone in her home and the negative readings that might provoke?

I don't like it, but then art is always subjective.

I looked at it and it was a case of is this meant to depict a busy mum grabbing a few moments rest or the meeting of african poverty with the world of modern conveniences, what is the artist getting at, why is the woman naked is it an indication of her background, affluence, it's it intended to titilate etc. Etc.

On the whole I felt there were more negative ways to interpret the image than positive ones. Within a series of prints it would have better context but on its own I wouldn't be comfortable to display it in my house.

To me it’s the epitome of being a mum - baby is asleep so really you should be relaxing but you know there is loads to get done around the house. You barely get time to put a wash on and find you have run out of clothes to wear; whilst waiting for the wash you catch a few minutes to read and just be you.

This is the story of a new mum regardless of race. I thinks lovely.

I just can’t see it as epitome of being a mother owing to the fact she is naked

When I first saw it I really disliked it, mostly due to the pose plus no clothes

Madupfam

I don't think it's racist I do though think it's pretty bad why would you want that in your house?.

Agreed. It is poor “art”. I think it is hideous.

I’d use the term illustration rather than art but I know that’s probably semantics

Oh it’s just about someone being a bust mummy? Hahaha

...a busy

Battleax, from your posts only the ideas that the woman is somewhere communal and that she doesn’t have many changes of clothes can sensibly be construed, IMO, as connoting poverty.

So why would Op risk displaying it alone in her home and the negative readings that might provoke?

'risk' is a big word for a little print, not to mention one hanging in what sounds like a fairly obscure corner of a house.

And the OP's visitors might just as well have positive reactions to it. Or, if they felt negative about it, they might ask the OP what SHE thinks of it, and have a conversation around it.

Either way, I don't think she's risking that much.

from your posts only the ideas that the woman is somewhere communal and that she doesn’t have many changes of clothes can sensibly be construed, IMO, as connoting poverty.

That’s what I said, I thought.

Battleax, you say 'I would think “poverty” if any woman was depicted leaning naked on a washing machine reading'. From which I understood you to mean that all of those things (the nakedness, the washing machine, the reading) connoted poverty.

No. The combination. I explained it all more fully up thread.

Yes, I've read them all, Battleax. I'm still not really understanding. Or agreeing.

Oh fuck it. I CBA.

You barely get time to put a wash on and find you have run out of clothes to wear; whilst waiting for the wash you catch a few minutes to read and just be you

Does the mere fact you've run out of clothes, and can get all that you own in a single washing machine load and you are forced to stand there butt naked, does that not indicate a level of poverty to you. You don't even have enough knickers?

So for you this naked black woman who can get all her clothes in the washing machine at once, indicating poverty, and she is forced to stand stark naked waiting for it to finish with a baby strapped to her back is "lovely"?

I don't take rhe same interpretation as you, as said, mine is about woman's work and place in society, but I find yours discomfiting,

I don't think its racist. I'm more concerned how a lot of Pp's are jumping to conclusions about where shes from and why she's naked, who's laundry is she doing etc. Im of mixed heritage Inc African, carribean, Asian and white I have witnessed many women in my family just like this. It's nothing more than real life people here are overthinking it.
I'd say some of the comments on here could be perceived as rascist even if people are hiding it behind concerns or maybe not even realising how it's coming across.
Sooner people stop pointing out differences and being the appropriation police maybe we can move on from this.

Hopefully everyone will check out the artist and notice there is a theme. Not just poor naked black woman there are all sorts of skin tones and even a bloke go and have a look lol.

NC4T its a lovely picture, hope you enjoy it at least you'll have a story about it now haha.

I agree that some of these projections about the picture and incredibly wild and patronising.

I'm more concerned how a lot of Pp's are jumping to conclusions about where shes from and why she's naked, who's laundry is she doing etc.

I agree.

You barely get time to put a wash on and find you have run out of clothes to wear; whilst waiting for the wash you catch a few minutes to read and just be you

And

Does the mere fact you've run out of clothes, and can get all that you own in a single washing machine load and you are forced to stand there butt naked, does that not indicate a level of poverty to you. You don't even have enough knickers?

Not at all. It indicates that you haven't had time to catch up with your washing.

Are you a mother Bluntness100? Do you have experience of being at home with the baby for months on end with no one else around to help you in the day?

As others who have actually looked at the artist's work have seen, the common theme is body positivity, not poverty.

Hopefully everyone will check out the artist and notice there is a theme. Not just poor naked black woman there are all sorts of skin tones and even a bloke go and have a look lol.

This.

I have witnessed many women in my family just like this

You have witnessed many women in your family, if many ethnicities, Stark naked, with s baby strapped to their back, doing the laundry?

Just how many? And why are they doing rhe laundry naked with you there?

I think she's naked because her baby has reflux and has vomited on all her clothes. Or, like ds1 her baby runs hot and she's boiling! I like the soft folds of her body. My body has soft folds. I think lots of women wear their babies like that now a days. Is it a specific cultural thing?

Bluntness100 do you always take everything so literally?

Seriously- are people not fed up with images of naked women?