A slave woman suckling a boy. A woman running, using heads as stepping stones. African-Americans fornicating, defecating, dancing, murdering and committing suicide. All of these images are part of Kara Walker’s ink, gauche and coffee-stained drawings and black paper cut-out silhouettes. Award-winning artist Walker will discuss her work tonight at the Des Moines Art Center. The speech marks the opening of her exhibit. Walker’s subject matter has been controversial since her first solo show in 1997. Her work contains racist and offensive stereotypes to overcome and transcend racism by parodying the silhouettes of the old antebellum South. “[Walker] went back into antebellum South to find the roots of where the stereotypical views came from,” said Jeff Fleming, Des Moines Art center senior curator. “She looks at history and race and continues to respond to the race issue.” The traditional imagery of the pre-Civil War South portrayed African-Americans in stereotypical poses such as eating watermelon, wearing bandannas, watching over white children, white men smoking cigars and little white girls in hoop skirts. Walker’s work depicts the African-American point of view with images of violence such as lynchings, rapes and beatings. Where her black paper cut-out silhouettes block out scenes, the drawings give the forms faces and emotion. Although the imagery is intended as a parody, some audiences find the work offensive regardless of intent. To some viewers, the intent is not clear, and they miss the parody as well as the message, said Iowa State Modern Art History Professor Dr. Dennis Raverty. “The work disguises itself as the enemy [racism] and works to destroy the enemy from within,” Raverty said. “People could see it and completely miss the point.” Raverty compared Walker’s parodies to the work of the pop artists. Though the subject matter was different, pop art was commenting on democracy and using popular culture imagery as a vehicle. Andy Warhol’s mass produced Campbell’s soup cans responded to a mass-produced society. Walker’s work uses the traditional art of the antebellum South to respond to racism and stereotypes of African-Americans. “Derogatory imagery should not be put out without explanation,” said Lizzetta Lefalle-Collins in the March issue of Art History. “If you use it, you have to use it with some responsibility.” “As far as I can see with the ink and paper cut-outs, she touches on a lot of nerves with little invested,” Design College minority liaison Frank Bell said. The Art Center premiers a new body of work by Walker that moves away from her cut-out style. The new exhibit consists of more than 100 ink and gauche drawings. The new work still retains her signature racial stereotypes. It contains many images of ships that respond to a black-owned era Fleming said. “Masterful technical abilities enhance the potent content, as Walker makes the caricature ghosts of the past,” Fleming said. “Like all caricatures, Walker’s work, by exposing human foibles, issues a call for change.” Walker’s exhibit opens following her lecture tonight at 6:30. The lecture is free and will be in the Levitt Auditorium. Following the lecture, the attendees will be invited to view the exhibition. A reception will be held in the sculpture court off the Richard Meier addition.