Problem
Our discussion of Kehinde Wiley will focus on his 2015 exhibition A New Republic. To begin, watch a short interview with Wiley and read the article "Christian-themed portraits by Kehinde Wiley" by Victoria Emily Jones. In the article, Jones discusses the exhibition and compares several of Wiley's contemporary artworks to their historic original. Choose one of the pairings listed in the article and explain the visual similarities and differences between the historic artwork and its modern pairing (include pictures). Then, discuss the goal of A New Republic by answering the following questions: Why did Wiley use religious artworks as inspiration for his own work? Why do you think Wiley feels compelled to replace historical or religious figures with contemporary black subjects? What might this say about how Americans see people of color, both currently and in the past?