Let Him Speak First

August 2, 2018
–April 21, 2002

Elizabeth Alexander manipulates discarded decorative materials, such as wallpaper and porcelain tableware, to create works that address cultural perceptions of homemaking and beautification. In this exhibition, Alexander explores these themes through repetitive methods of deconstruction and reconstruction. The phrase “Let him speak first” comes from a vintage collection of etiquette instructions for new wives and addresses the artist’s interest in altering “relics of the American Dream.”

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From These Hills: Contemporary Art in the Southern Appalachian Highlands
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