Do just so...

The title of this work comes from a line in the 1828 “Jump Jim Crow” song, which was frequently performed in blackface by white entertainer Thomas Dartmouth Rice (1808–1860). The pejorative term Jim Crow originated from this song, and the performance of this lyrical piece developed as a precursor to the traveling minstrel shows of the mid-19th century. Characteristic of Kara Elizabeth Walker’s larger oeuvre, this print calls attention to the creation and legacy of racial stereotypes in contemporary society. Do just so… portrays a white stage performer who offers a dress to a nude African American girl. The young girl looks inquisitively at the adult performer, perhaps contemplating why she is being asked to take part in a theatrical event.

Today, Walker is most famous for her installations composed of black cut-out silhouettes that recount the stories of slaves in the Antebellum South. Her work is directly inspired by Lorna Simpson’s photographs, which also explore themes of racial and gender identity among marginalized communities in the United States.