A Subtlety By Kara Walker

But first.... Lemme take a selfie.

This was my first Kara Walker exhibit, but I was prepared for the experience because I've seen some of her other works online. They are banal and deeply disturbing all at once. Images with depth and multilayered meaning. Thought this work is pretty straight forward... almost like a bludgeon, it did have a deeper context. Not that I think anyone having their picture taken throwing up duces quite got it.

When you first walk in the smell hits you. It was unexpected, shocking, nauseating and confusing. Isn't sugar supposed to smell sweet??? It was like a warehouse full of the dead. Apropos since so many died in the sugar trade. Riches were built on the corpses of enslaved black men, women and children.

Before you get to the main sculpture, you encounter smaller brown sugar forms of children toting baskets or bananas. I don't know what Ms. Walker called them, but my first thought was "Sugar Babies". Along with the sickly sweet smell of the brown sugar and walking through the sticky dried blood-like puddles that were oozing from the pieces, my childhood memory of that candy was ruined forever.
Some of the sculptures completely deteriorated in the non-climate controlled environment. It was like finding the remains of small children by the side of the road during high summer.

By the time I reached the massive white sugar "Mammy Sphinx", the smell wasn't as strong or I just got used to it. Sorry, I really should look up what Ms. Walker has titled these pieces, but these are my off the cuff impressions.
This is when the audience got weird. Put breasts and genitals around people and they strip the person or object of any meaning other than it being for their titillation. I guess that would be the explanation for the smiles and the numerous requests for me to photograph people with her. But that was at the front. At the rear, people didn't seem to know exactly what was appropriate or not.

She's a New World deity.
I'm currently reading "American Gods" by Neil Gaiman and the connection to this book seems fitting. She was brought over with her people on slave ships. Countless thousands of lives were sacrificed to her. She gave her acolytes wealth immeasurable on both sides of the Atlantic. But now her temple is a ruin, slated to become condominiums for the wealthy still benefiting from her largesse all these hundreds of years latter.

Okay... I'm going to stop here before I completely depress myself.
In my uncultured opinion, Ms. Walker has done it once again. Brava.

Good Lord I thought I was approaching the Great Wall of China! We arrived in Brooklyn around 2:30pm only to find a line that stretched for blocks. It was almost 90 degrees and I don't recall a breeze.

After lunch we got on line Saturday the 5th , on the eve of the exhibit's closing. Oddly enough it only took us about 1 hour and 10 minutes; I was so relieved!

"Subtlety" also known as "The Marvelous Sugar Baby" exhibit is SOMETHING that you have to see with your very own eyes! 35 feet tall and 40 tons of sparkly white sugar sprayed on to a form, to create this astounding Southern American
Mythological creature who was birthed during a time when elder black men and women were referred to as "uncle" and "aunt" instead of the formal "Mr." or "Ms." The Domino Sugar Factory was built in 1856 and in 1870 it was refining more than half of the sugar in the U.S.

So Why Sugar?
18th century wealthy French would decorate their dessert tables with sensual sculptures and statues made of white sugar. If they did not use sugar they used matte porcelain, a close resemblance. These sculptures were called subtleties as artist Kara Walker took notice of and decided to recreate within this very tradition. For centuries, the lower classes had no access to sugar until the 1900s.

The smell of the sugar factory was both sweet and sour.

I first walked around to observe the little brown sugar boys strategically placed around the mammy sphinx. They were melting, deteriorating, and decaying right before our eyes, yet they still marched on with baskets on their backs and bundles thrown over their shoulders. At one point I walked around to watch how people were reacting to the images. One black woman walked over to each image and just stood there as though she were attending a funeral, walking to each figurine dropping her head in sadness, clutching her chest, while her white male friend rubbed her back and just held her hand. Others- rushed over to stand in front of the Sphinx grinning with 2-thumbs up and peace signs as though they were posing in front of the Grand Canyon.

( LOL--No Judgment )

It just amazed me at how something so striking as the Mammy Sphinx and her exposed derriere brought out a multitude of people and reactions.

I thought it was cool that some of the docents hired to work the exhibit were former employees. They talked about their good job that paid $17 an hour with over-time and appeared to be very proud of the experience and opportunity.

By June of 1999, when the International Longshoremen's Association began a 20-month strike, Domino Sugar was out! High-fructose corn syrup and other sweeteners had cleared the competition!

Four years later, the refinery was closed. A few workers, transferred to the Domino plant in Yonkers, but more than 200 people lost their jobs. Yes. Both Sweet and Sour.

Well worth the journey on a most noteworthy occasion Independence Day weekend. For Kara Walker and " to the unpaid and overworked Artisans who have refined our Sweet tastes" this was a major success.

I came here a few weeks back with not much background on the exhibit other than the fact there would be a large sphinx-like statue and came away finding the totality of the exhibit quite interesting, if not strange. For those interested in coming and wondering where the entrance is, it's located on South 1st street and Kent Avenue. You can't miss it as a huge sign was posted on the gate and a few police officers were standing nearby. Surprisingly, there wasn't really a wait to get in after work on a Friday. A line formed outside of the factory, but it moved very quickly and the hold up was really due to everyone having to sign a waiver before stepping in (since the site is considered under construction).

Once inside, I immediately noticed the enormity of the place. The rusting of the walls and steel beams were evident too. The smell of sugar cane constantly played with my nose as I walked around. The first things I noticed were the "blackamoors" statues located throughout the factory. The "blackamoors" were basically statues of little boys carrying baskets, with most of the baskets filled with some sugary gelatin substance inside. It was actually a bit puzzling and disgusting to look at.

At the far end of the factory was where the Sphinx was located. This is where you'll find a majority of the visitors, some sitting on the side benches, others trying to get photos with or of the Sphinx. Although the front of the Sphinx is what is displayed in photos, the backside was the real buzz! After taking a look at the front, I walked towards the back to see the huge "backside" of the statue. I wasn't really sure what to make of it, but it was absolutely worthy of more than one photo. For those with kids, the image of the backside might be a bit inappropriate because it looks like a vagina is carved in between the 2 "cheeks". Nonetheless, it's still a site to behold!

Overall, I was probably at the exhibit for about 45 minutes to an hour and that was pushing it. It's a pretty cool and unique exhibit and best of all, it's free! Not sure how long it will be before a wait actually does form outside, but the factory is big enough where I think it'd be rare.

Something to witness, something to see. If you love art and have the opportunity you must see this. It's so overwhelming on one level but its also very subtle, not by size and form but in other ways much more difficult to describe. Peoples reactions alone are interesting and become part of the whole show. The smells and the sticky floors add to the whole experience. The building itself is visually stimulating.

An absolute success and an overall amazing installation.

Great show with great concept for this perid.
It is open only on weekend between 12am to 6p.m. I would recommend to go there early.
There is long line in front of the factory, it would not take too long because there is only one masive space inside for public and they just want to control the amount of people inside to fully experience the exhibition, but expect to wait about 30 minutes at least there.


The entire factory is filled with the aroma of old sugar.
It is just a quite rare experience offered free to public.

A fascinating, free exhibit of sugar sculptures.

Came here on a whim whilst following others who had planned to peruse the installation... Nick T, Hillary, Jason S, Win C, Ryan M. I truly didn't know what to expect despite having read some of the reviews and the event description itself.

The wait was an seemingly long half hour wait in-line that moved rather rapidly, luckily in the nice, sunny weather. Attendants provided waivers to sign our life away as it was an active construction site, destined to be torn down upon the exhibit's conclusion. Yep, it was definitely not going to be anything more than temporary.

Upon walking toward the structure housing the exhibit, a sign alongside the structure explains the purpose. Upon entering, one can't help but be immersed by the strange odor of stale sugar. I've walked by an active Domino Sugar factory before. The air is typically sweet, giving passerby's a natural high. Not so here... it's quite rancid.

Randomly placed sculptures of melting molasses-like children are interspersed across the length of the factory. In the back/center is the GINORMOUS Sphinx. How in the world could such an object that large be crafted out of sugar? I took it all in for what it's worth- It is unique. It is art. ...And it makes a statement.

30 tons of sugar !! ' SWEET '

This is by far one of the best art installations I have ever seen in one of the oldest landmarks in Williamsburg .

The setting is amazing , The Domino sugar factory couldn't have been a better place to do this . Of course it all ties in with the inspiration of the exhibit .

So whether you like art or not prepare to be amazed .

FREE!
Worth the wait and the paperwork. Release form basically says "I understand I'm entering a construction zone and I promise I won't sue." Wear sensible shoes that you don't mind getting sticky, and watch the floor for molasses prints.

I only wish there were some literature available for perspective, but you can find info at creativetime.org .

A unique art piece that makes living in NYC worth the crappy subways and all the other garbage you have to put up with. Subtlety is why we go through the bad so we can see the unique and beautiful.

I really enjoyed being a part of the history of this building. When your pictures to instagram they will be fettered in a future art piece connected to the piece.

Enjoy your time here and really appreciate the history of the building. Even though its all made of sugar there is a serious statement being made.

Free
Massive
Pre-condo
Ephemeral
Exhibition on sugar and power.