Homeland fashions. [The African Lookbook by Catherine E. McKinley]

An unprecedented visual history of African women told in striking and subversive historical photographs--featuring an Introduction by Edwidge Danticat and a Foreword by Jacqueline Woodson.

Most of us grew up with images of African women that were purely anthropological--bright displays of exotica where the deeper personhood seemed tucked away. Or they were chronicles of war and poverty--“poverty porn.” But now, curator Catherine E. McKinley draws on her extensive collection of historical and contemporary photos to present a visual history spanning a hundred-year arc (1870–1970) of what is among the earliest photography on the continent. These images tell a different story of African women: how deeply cosmopolitan and modern they are in their style; how they were able to reclaim the tools of the colonial oppression that threatened their selfhood and livelihoods.

Featuring works by celebrated African masters, African studios of local legend, and anonymous artists, The African Lookbook captures the dignity, playfulness, austerity, grandeur, and fantasy-making of African women across centuries. McKinley also features photos by Europeans--most starkly, striking nudes--revealing the relationships between white men and the Black female sitters where, at best, a grave power imbalance lies. It's a bittersweet truth that when there is exploitation there can also be profound resistance expressed in unexpected ways--even if it's only in gazing back. These photos tell the story of how the sewing machine and the camera became powerful tools for women's self-expression, revealing a truly glorious display of everyday beauty.

In The African Lookbook, Catherine E. McKinley curates a chronological tour of, primarily, West African photography, examining questions of identity and representation through colonial and independence periods to the ongoing modern. I grew up with mother very aware and proud of her African roots in the diaspora. My childhood in Brooklyn saw a few years of regular attendance at the local African festival. I grew up digesting images of Africanness, regardless of the specificity (lack thereof) of my ties to one ethnic group, and I learned to be proud of the range of display of identity and culture I was exposed to. But McKinley makes a interesting point when referencing photography of, mostly, African women. Who, or what, is framing the gaze?

How many of the images I grew up with, was accustomed to as the norm or default, were taken with respect? Was I looking, or do I continue to look through a colonial, fetishizing gaze? Is the context of familial proximity something that was respected in this context? I bring this up because once I became aware of the examination I started to wonder about the book itself. But McKinley's curation of photos and historical contextualization only strengthen that awareness, making this, for me, a must-read. 5 stars from me.

The African Lookbook (ISBN:9781620403532) is set for publication January 19, 2021.