카라 워커(Kara Walker, 1969∼)는 1994∼1998년 실루엣 작품을 통해 여러 인종의 캐릭터들을 만들고 인종 간에 발생하는 성적 섹슈얼리티와 폭력성을 드러냈다. 워커는 서사적 구성을 가진 실루엣 작품 속에서 인종에 대한 고정관념이 ‘허구’라는 것을 표현 하기 위하여 현실과 가상이 혼합된 자신만의 판타지를 만들어 내었다.
워커의 인종 재현 방식에서 중요한 전략은 외적인 윤곽을 드러내는 실루엣 (Silhouette) 기법과 문학 작품의 차용, 키치로서의 로맨스 요소를 사용하였다는 것이다. 이뿐 만 아니라 워커는 그녀의 작품에서 아프리카계 미국인들의 포스트 메모리 (postmemory) 작업과 개인의 트라우마의 작용을 흑인 여성 캐릭터에서 잘 녹여내었다. 이로써 워커는 자신의 경험을 흑인 여성이 가지는 심리학적인 유산과 혼합하였고, 지배 자와 피지배자 사이의 성적 권력에 대한 문제를 가시화하였다.
그리하여 워커는 흑인 여성의 성적인 면을 드러내는 것에 보수 적일 수밖에 없었던 1970년대 흑인 여성 미술 작가들의 시선에서 한발 나아가 흑인 여성의 신체를 인종적 억압에서 벗어나게 하였다. 워커는 그녀의 작품 속의 이미지와 내러티브를 통해 흑인 여성 캐릭터의 성적 주체성을 표현함으로써 인종적·성적 차별에 따른 사람들의 인식을 바꾸려는 시도를 하였다.

Kara Walker (1969∼ ) created characters of different races in silhouette works of 1994∼1998 to reveal sexuality and violence that occur between races. An important strategy of Walker in reproduction of races was to express discriminatory images against black people using silhouette technique which illustrates external contours. Walker further emphasized the difference in context and meaning by using silhouette technique, a non-mainstream method of the past, as the mainstream art of the present.
Also Walker created black silhouette to draw artistic discussion on shadows, proposing a doubt about the meaning of human existence and constructing the world of reality and unreality. Walker tried to expose through silhouette technique that the stereotype about human race is a false concept devised by rulers. Walker created her own fantasy mixed with reality and virtuality through silhouette works in order to express that the stereotype against black people is a 'illusion'.
In addition, Walker partially mentioned a literary work based on pre and post Civil War backgrounds in the title of her work, intentionally borrowing characters of the literary work to her work. While Walker borrowed a literary work that contains story of black slaves in her work, she revealed inherent racial discrimination in a story familiar to the audience using extreme contrast with the literature.
Walker also completed the work as fantasy using elements of sexual romance after setting characters of her work with the sexual relationship in popular literature,trying to overthrow the fixed image of black people. Elements of romance as kitsch in popular literature are linked with the public desire to effectively convey the theme of Walker's work. Borrowing of literary work, narrative composition of characters, fantasy mixed with historical facts, and sexual elements revealed in the work of Walker are parts of her efforts to overturn the stereotype of people about race.
On one hand, the ‘postmemory’ process of African Americans handed down as historical memories through memories and testimonies of the past described in cultural products was embodied in the silhouette work of Walker. Strategic borrowing and reconfiguration of stories about black slaves described in famous novels and films can be regarded as a part of this postmemory process. Walker recreated virtual story that includes historical facts through the silhouette work as a device to mediate historical memory based on reconfiguration of American literature and visual culture.
Black female characters of Walker represent the typical perception of racial discrimination experienced in terms of sex. The work of Walker is not only an expression of the African American post-memory generation but can also be seen as an expression of her personal traumatic experience. Walker attempted to speak of the sexual authority between rulers and victims by mixing her experience with psychological legacy of suppressed black women. Walker took a step forward from the views of black female artists in 1970s, who were forced to be conservative about revealing sexual aspects of black women, to liberate bodies of black women from racial suppression. Walker made an attempt to change perception of people according to racial and sexual discriminations by expressing sexual identity of black female characters in her narrative.

Ⅰ. 머리말
 Ⅱ. 실루엣과 키치(Kitsch)
  1. 문학의 차용
  2. 인종의 재현과 그림자 효과
 Ⅲ.기억과 포스트메모리(postmemory)
  1. 포스트메모리와 개인적 트라우마
  2. 역사적 기억과 흑인 여성의 신체
 Ⅴ. 결론
 참고문헌
 국문초록
 Abstract

• 정희라(한국공예디자인문화진흥원) | Hee-Ra Jung