{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O82946"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O82946/"}},"images":{"_primary_thumbnail":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GK0877/full/!100,100/0/default.jpg","_iiif_image":"https://framemark.vam.ac.uk/collections/2013GK0877/","_alt_iiif_image":[],"imageResolution":"low","_images_meta":[{"assetRef":"2013GK0877","copyright":"© Victoria and Albert Museum, London","sensitiveImage":false},{"assetRef":"2006AF4124","copyright":"©Victoria and Albert Museum, London/Maud Sulter","sensitiveImage":false}]},"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O82946","accessionNumber":"E.1799-1991","objectType":"Photograph","titles":[{"title":"Phalia (Portrait of Alice Walker)","type":"assigned by artist"},{"title":"Zabat","type":"series title"}],"summaryDescription":"This photograph is from a series of portraits of creative black women by Maud Sulter, who is of Ghanaian and Scottish parentage. The series is called Zabat and shows each woman as one of the nine Greek muses. The word Zabat describes an ancient ritual dance performed by women on occasions of power, and her use of it signifies Maud Sulter's call for a repositioning of black women in the history of photography.\r\n\r\nThe model here is the author and feminist Alice Walker, winner of the 1993 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for her novel The Color Purple. Here she is represented as Phalia, the muse of comedy and the bringer of flowers.\r\n\r\nMaud Sulter produced the Zabat series for Rochdale Art Gallery in 1989, the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography. It was a direct response to the lack of a black presence at other celebratory events and exhibitions. Here we see the conventions of Victorian portrait photography under the command of a black woman photographer. The backdrop, props and pose are all retained but the image is transformed with African clothes and, most importantly, by the resolute black woman at its centre.","physicalDescription":"Photograph of Alice Walker represented as Phalia (Thalia), the muse of comedy and bringer of flowers.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Sulter, Maud","id":"A10058"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":""},{"name":{"text":"Maud Sulter","id":"A10058"},"association":{"text":"photographer","id":"AAT25687"},"note":"Maud Sulter was an artist, feminist, historian and curator of Ghanaian and Scottish heritage whose work spans photography, film and installation.  She curated several exhibitions and published books and catalogues through her publishing imprint, Urban Fox Press. Her project Zabat comprises allegorical portraits of contemporary Black women, where each woman represents one of the nine Greek muses. Here, we see the conventions of Victorian portrait photography under the command of a Black woman photographer. The backdrop, props and seated pose are retained but images are transformed with African clothes, non-European objects and women of colour at their centre. The word Zabat describes an ancient ritual dance performed by women on occasions of power, and her use of it signifies Sulter’s call for a repositioning of Black women in the history of photography. \r\n\r\nSulter produced the Zabat series for Rochdale Art Gallery in 1989, the 150th anniversary of the invention of photography. It was a direct response to the lack of a Black presence at other celebratory events and exhibitions. \r\n"}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"photographic paper","id":"AAT14190"},{"text":"dye","id":"AAT13029"},{"text":"bleach","id":"AAT14855"}],"techniques":[{"text":"silver-dye bleach process","id":"AAT133465"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Dye destruction print","categories":[{"text":"Photographs","id":"THES48910"},{"text":"Black History","id":"THES48989"},{"text":"Portraits","id":"THES48906"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"PDP","id":"THES48595"},"images":["2013GK0877","2006AF4124"],"imageResolution":"low","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"B","id":"THES304602"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"photograph","id":"AAT46300"}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Great Britain","id":"x32019"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":"probably"}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1989","earliest":"1989-01-01","latest":"1989-12-31"},"association":{"text":"photographed","id":"x30151"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[{"object":{"text":"E.1791-1991","id":"O134506"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1792-1991","id":"O82947"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1793-1991","id":"O82945"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1794-1991","id":"O82944"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1795-1991","id":"O82948"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1796-1991","id":"O134377"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1797-1991","id":"O134507"},"association":"Set"},{"object":{"text":"E.1798-1991","id":"O134508"},"association":"Set"}],"creditLine":"Copyright Maud Sulter","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"122","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"153","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"Photograph aprox: 128 x 102 cm\r\nFrame: 140 x 116 x 4.5 cm","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"","historicalContext":"Maud Sulter works with photography as well as video and installation. Amongst her recent projects has been a series of allegorical portraits of contemporary black women which used conventional studio techniques along with the trappings of historical displays. Sulter also uses a variety of conventions from portraiture - from 18th century costume to heavy Victorian frames. The contrast between these anachronistic and aristocratic styles and the actual histories of her sitters is used to poetic effect and also raises questions about the nature of 'national' heritage.","briefDescription":"'Phalia' (Alice Walker), dye destruction print, Zabat series, Maud Sulter, 1989","bibliographicReferences":[{"reference":{"text":"","id":""},"details":"","free":"Katy Barron, <u>Looking In. Photographic Portraits by Maud Sulter and Chan-Hyo Bae</u>. London: Ben Uri Gallery, 2013.  ISBN: 978-0-900157-42-4."}],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[{"text":"woman","id":"x35642"},{"text":"flowers","id":"x35571"}],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["E.1799-1991"],"accessionNumberNum":"1799","accessionNumberPrefix":"E","accessionYear":1991,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2025-06-03","recordCreationDate":"2003-07-30","availableToBook":false}}