Carrie Mae Weems

a group of 9 unique large-format Polaroid Polacolor prints, comprising 8 from the series 'And 22 Million Very Tired and Angry People' and one entitled 'See No Evil,' 4 trimmed to the image and flush-mounted, each signed and dated in ink on the reverse of the print or mount, 1991 (9)

Andrea Kirsh and Susan Fisher Sterling, Carrie Mae Weems (The National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1993), pls. 38, 39, 42, cropped, and 43

'And 22 Million Very Tired and Angry People' is comprised of 15 images; 9 of these images are included in this lot. These Polaroid prints are in generally excellent condition. On the reverse of the prints along the left and right edges, there is light rust-colored staining. 'Hot Spot in a Corrupt World' - Visible in raking light are fingerprints and a scattering of superficial surface scuffs and scratches that do not break the emulsion. In the bottom left corner of the print, there is a one-inch horizontal crease that appears to break the emulsion slightly. 'An Information System' - Visible in raking light are fingerprints and a few tiny crescent-shaped handling creases in the upper portion of the image. The corners are bumped or lightly bent. On the reverse of the mount are two thin adhesive remains. 'A Veiled Woman' - Visible in raking light are superficial surface scratches and 2 pin-point-sized indentations that do not break the emulsion in the veil. The corners are lightly bumped. 'See No Evil' - Visible in raking light are fingerprints. The corners are lightly bumped. 'A Cool Drink of Water' - In the lower portion of the print there is a one-inch crease that breaks the emulsion. 'An Armed Man' - Visible in raking light are fingerprints and 2 small soft handling creases along the right edge of the image. On the reverse of the print, '6' TO END' is annotated in an unidentified hand in black marker. 'A Little Black Magic' 'A Precise Moment in Time' - In the upper portion of the print there is a one-inch vertical crease that breaks the emulsion. In raking light, several small soft handling creases are visible. 'A Dagger'
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

In 1990, Carrie Mae Weems was invited by Polaroid to use the mammoth 20-by-24-inch camera.  The resulting images represented Weems's first use of color in her photographic work, and she chose to temper the saturated colors typical of Polacolor film by shooting the images through a filter.  This approach gave the resulting photographs a muted, almost sepia, color.  Several bodies of work emerged from Weems's association with Polaroid, two of which are represented in this lot. 

Eight of the photographs in this lot are from the series And 22 Million Very Tired and Angry People, which was fully realized as an installation at the New Museum of Contemporary Art in 1991.  Andrea Kirsch reports that Weems 'referred to the installation as her ''kitchen piece,'' an attempt to get certain issues on the table' (Kirsch and Sterling, Carrie Mae Weems, p. 15).  The constituent photographs stand for the requirements and contextual elements of cultural and political change.  The full installation consisted of 15 images, each accompanied by an allusive, evocative, or representational title.  The titles for the eight images offered here are An Informational System [typewriter]; Hot Spot in a Corrupt World [globe]; A Little Black Magic [Orisha figure]; An Armed Man; A Veiled Woman; A Cool Drink of Water [water glass]; A Dagger; and A Precise Moment in Time [alarm clock].  The New Museum installation included banners, hung amidst the photographs, that were silk-screened with text by Malcolm X, Fannie Lou Hamer, Ntozake Shange, Gabriel Carcia Marquez, Anton Chekhov, and others. 

The remaining photograph in this lot, of a young African-American man covering his eyes and entitled See No Evil, is from a triptych whose other images were Hear No Evil and Speak No Evil.