The Dirty South: Family Visit Guide

Fast Facts:

• This exhibition includes art that spans the last one hundred years, from 1920 to 2020.
• There are approximately one hundred different artists featured in this exhibition.  They are intergenerational and vary in their artistic training.  This exhibition is not about any single artist, but rather about the power of their collective aesthetic.
• There are over 140 works of art represented in this exhibition and they vary in form, size, medium and genre.
• The exhibition is divided into three thematic sections:  
  1. Magical Realism of the South:  Landscape
  2. Sinners & Saints:  Religion
  3. Black Corporeality:  The Black Body
• Note to families with younger children: This exhibition contains some works of art that explore or depict sensitive subjects such as racism and violence.

For many people familiar with the term “Dirty South,” it most often refers to southern hip-hop music; however there is no single or fixed definition.  It is a term with various meanings possible depending on the context.

The term “Dirty South” is  a term of endearment that is often used to denote the southeastern area of the United States (the area that made up most of the Confederacy).

Some say the term “Dirty South” came from the Atlanta Hip-Hop Group, Goodie Mob, who released the song, “What Chu Know About the Dirty South?” in their 1995 debut album entitled Soul Food.

Cruise through the Atrium on your way to the exhibition entrance to see the SLAB Car!

On your way to the entrance of the exhibition, be sure to check out the SLAB Car on view in the Atrium.  SLAB stands for “slow, loud and banging.”  These customized cars began to emerge out of Houston, Texas in the 1980s.  Often starting with a vintage model, large-sized car like a Cadillac or Oldsmobile, these vehicles are completely rebuilt and customized, becoming a work of art and expression of the owner’s status and identity.  Slabs are known for elbow wheels, called “swangas,” high-gloss paint, and explosive stereo systems.  Intended to be driven slowly in an effort to be both seen and heard, these cars function as performance art, theatrically presenting the driver’s personality and style.

The Southern landscape has long been a source of both inspiration and investigation for African American artists. Whether they are contemplating nature, using elements of the land in their art, or looking at the South as a place of oppression and pain, the Southern landscape plays a key role in the story of the Black American experience.  

As you explore the works of art in this first thematic section of the exhibition, ask yourself the following questions:

• How does this object relate to the Southern landscape? What elements can we see in this image that relate to the land?
• Based on what you see and understand about the work, what do you think the artist is trying to say?

Possible Activity to try: Strike a Pose

Artists have reasons for posing people in their artworks. Sometimes just by mimicking the poses, you can understand more about the art even before getting any additional information.

Using Cortor’s Southern Landscape, or another work of figural art (a work of art that has a person in it) of your choosing, do the following:

Without looking at the label, study the gestures and body language of the figure you see. Carefully move your body and adjust your facial expression to match that of the figure. What does doing this tell you about what the figure may be thinking or feeling? How does the figure relate to the landscape they are in?

Now look at the label (if available), and compare your ideas to what is there.

What makes sense? What is surprising?

What ideas of your own would you add if you could?

Spirituality in the African American South is complex, reflecting a mixture of West and Central African, European, and Indigenous American traditions. For many of the artists in this exhibition, the materials they use often function as talismans (objects considered to have religious or magical powers intended to protect, heal, or harm individuals for whom they are made). Some of the artists in this section were inspired by their dreams or mystical visions. Also, intricately linked to African American spirituality is music or the “sonic impulse.” For many years, music has been the means by which Black Americans have transformed grief, pain and hardships into positive energy. 

As you explore the works of art in the second thematic section of the exhibition, ask yourself the following questions:

• How does this object relate to African American spirituality or religion? What elements can we see in this image that direct us to spirituality, beliefs, and traditions?
• Based on your interpretation of the work, what message do you think the artist is trying to relay to the viewer?

Possible Activity to try: DJ the Artwork

Using Romare Bearden’s Three Folk Musicians, or another work of your choice, follow these steps:

Take your time and carefully look at the work of art. Look at every part of the work, studying even the smallest details. Note:  try spending at least 30 seconds looking.

Next, make a list of adjectives/words that describe the work of art. If you have a pencil you can write them down, but if not, just think of a list (note: if you wish to write while visiting the museum, graphite pencils are required). You can choose adjectives that describe specific marks, particular sections, or the piece as a whole.

Take a moment to review your list of adjectives. Now, choose the 4 adjectives that you feel best describe this piece.

For each of your chosen adjectives, come up with a correlating sound. So, if these adjectives were sounds, what sounds would they be? This step relies on your imagination – there is absolutely no right or wrong answer. Your sounds could be musical terms, instruments, or everyday life sounds.

Choose a song, musical genre, or soundscape that you feel fits with your adjectives, sounds, and most importantly the work of art. A soundscape would be a situation or environment that is made up of many different sounds.

Now it’s time for reflection. Why did you choose the adjectives, sounds, songs that you chose? What did you discover about the piece through this activity?

The works of art in this section show the complexities of Black American Identity. Artists explore what it means to be Black in America as well as creative expressions such as music, movement, and language.

As you explore the works of art in the third thematic section of the exhibition, ask yourself the following questions:

• How does this object relate to The Black Body or Black Identity? What elements can we see in this image that direct us to themes of identity or representation?
• Based on your interpretation of the work, what message do you think the artist is trying to tell us?

After exiting the exhibition, be sure to visit the Educational Space. In this immersive installation, visitors will explore the sonic traditions of the Dirty South by learning about 6 geographical regions of the southeastern United States that stand out as epicenters of southern hip-hop music: 

• Memphis, Tennessee
• Houston, Texas
• New Orleans, Louisiana
• Atlanta, Georgia
• Miami, Florida
• Hampton Roads, Virginia

Thank you for visiting VMFA’s special exhibition, The Dirty South: Contemporary Art, Material Culture, and the Sonic Impulse!  Pick up a collection connection card to continue your museum journey.  You can also hear a playlist created just for the exhibition here!