Jack Shainman Gallery is pleased to present Unbranded: A Century of White Women, 1915 – 2015, Hank Willis Thomas’s fifth solo exhibition at the gallery, on view from April 10th to May 23rd, 2015. Building upon the concepts explored in his acclaimed Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America 1968-2008, this exhibition delves into the evolving representations of white women in mainstream American advertising over a hundred-year span. Thomas’s “unbranding” technique serves as a critical lens to examine the constructed ideals of virtue, power, beauty, privilege, and desire as they are projected onto white women within the commercial sphere.
From the burgeoning era of print advertising to its gradual decline, Unbranded: A Century of White Women, 1915 – 2015 offers a compelling visual journey through the archetypes of femininity marketed across diverse demographics. The exhibition prompts viewers to consider how these carefully crafted images have shaped and reflected societal norms and aspirations regarding white women. By stripping away the overt branding, Thomas lays bare the underlying messages and cultural assumptions embedded within these ubiquitous advertisements.
Roland Barthes, in Rhetoric of the Image, astutely observed the intentionality inherent in advertising imagery. These images are designed for direct and impactful communication, succinctly and seductively conveying product attributes. In Unbranded, Hank Willis Thomas masterfully isolates these advertising images from their original commercial purpose, compelling audiences to confront the residual narratives and implications.
Consider Aggressive loyalty, 1963/2015. This artwork presents a seemingly cheerful young woman, cigarette in hand, with a striking black eye marring her otherwise flawless face. Despite this visible sign of violence, her expression remains undisturbed, even proud. The title itself, Aggressive loyalty, hints at the original advertisement’s message of unwavering brand devotion, now unsettlingly juxtaposed with the image of female injury and resilience within advertising.
Similarly, She’s somewhat of a drag, 1959/2015, presents a disquieting scene. Two men, equipped for alpine climbing, stand triumphantly atop a rocky summit. One casually holds a rope connected to a woman positioned at the photograph’s lower edge, struggling to ascend. The men are engrossed in conversation, seemingly oblivious to the woman’s strenuous effort below. This image powerfully captures a sense of female struggle and male indifference, subtly embedded within the advertisement’s original context.
Moving forward to contemporary imagery, Just as our Forefathers intended, 2015/2015, presents a tableau reminiscent of Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze’s iconic painting, Washington Crossing the Delaware. However, instead of triumphant revolutionaries, we see a group of scantily clad women crowded into a boat being towed by a large American pickup truck. This striking visual juxtaposition subverts the heroic narrative, suggesting that these women, while positioned as figures of conquest, are simultaneously objectified and manipulated within this contemporary advertisement.
Through Unbranded: A Century of White Women, 1915 – 2015, Hank Willis Thomas’s curated collection of decontextualized advertisements retains its potent impact. The exhibition serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring and often insidious nature of advertising’s influence on cultural perceptions and the ongoing construction of identity, particularly concerning the representation of white women in visual media. These carefully selected signs and symbols continue to resonate and provoke critical thought, even after their original marketing intentions have faded from immediate recognition.
Hank Willis Thomas has a distinguished exhibition history, with notable solo and group shows at institutions such as the Jewish Museum, New York ( Repetition and Difference, 2015); the Cleveland Museum of Art, Ohio ( Hank Willis Thomas, 2013-2014); and the Studio Museum Harlem, New York (Speaking of People: Ebony, Jet and Contemporary Art, 2014-2015). His works are included in prestigious public collections including The Museum of Modern Art, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, and the Whitney Museum of American Art, all in New York, and the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D.C.
Join us for the opening reception of Unbranded: A Century of White Women, 1915 – 2015 on Friday, April 10th, from 6 – 8 PM at Jack Shainman Gallery, located at 513 West 20th and 524 West 24th Streets. Gallery hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 am to 6 pm. For further information and press materials, please contact the gallery at [email protected]. Upcoming exhibitions at the gallery include Yoan Capote and El Anatsui.
