Summary of "Kara Walker: "A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby" | Art21 "Extended Play""

The video explores Kara Walker’s creative process and conceptual framework behind her large-scale installation "A Subtlety, or the Marvelous Sugar Baby," presented at the Domino Sugar Factory in Brooklyn, NY. The work deeply engages with themes of history, race, labor, and industry, particularly the legacy of sugar production and its ties to slavery and exploitation.

Artistic Techniques, Concepts, and Creative Processes:

Conceptual Foundation:
- Walker’s work is “consumed by history” rather than trying to solve historical issues.
- The installation was site-specific, responding to the Domino Sugar Factory’s industrial and historical context, including the physical presence of molasses and sugar residues.
- The project was temporary, with the factory slated for demolition after the show.
Research and Thematic Development:
- Extensive research into the history of sugar, sugar cane cultivation, and its connection to slavery and exploitation.
- Exploration of the term “sugar subtlety,” a historical sugar sculpture made for royalty, which inspired the central figure of the installation.
- The concept of ruins and decay as metaphors for history and memory.
- The choice of a sphinx-like figure symbolizing power, but recontextualized as a “New World” figure rather than an Egyptophile relic.
- The figure of the “mammy” as a powerful, monumental icon that challenges stereotypical representations.
Materials and Techniques:
- Use of sugar, molasses, and corn syrup as primary materials, emphasizing temporality and transformation (melting, dripping).
- The main sculpture began as a clay model.
- The clay model was scanned and digitized to create a file for robotic carving.
- Robotic carving involved layering and bow wire cutting to achieve curves and shapes.
- Despite robotic assistance, hand finishing was essential, emphasizing the human element in sculpture.
- Sugar casting involved boiling a mixture of corn syrup, sugar, and water to specific temperatures (265–290°F), then pouring into rubber molds.
- The sugar figures are fragile and ephemeral, reinforcing themes of temporality and decay.
Creative Challenges and Reflections:
- Walker admitted uncertainty and unfamiliarity with large-scale sculpture, often stepping back during the sculpting process.
- Embracing the fun and playfulness of working with sugar as a medium.
- The installation’s figures, especially the mammy, were designed to subvert expectations and convey strength rather than stereotypical roles.
- The importance of historical awareness in contemporary art, balancing looking back and looking forward.

Summary of Steps and Materials:

Research historical and cultural context (sugar history, slavery, industrial site).
Develop concept inspired by “sugar subtlety” and ruins.
Model figure in clay.
Digitize clay model for robotic carving.
Use robotic carving with bow wire technique to shape large-scale sculpture.
Hand-finish sculptures to refine details.
Prepare sugar mixture (corn syrup, sugar, water), boil to 265–290°F.
Pour sugar mixture into molds to create sugar castings.
Assemble and install sculptures in site-specific environment.
Allow natural processes (melting, dripping) to interact with the work.

Creators and Contributors:

Kara Walker – Artist and conceptual lead.
Nato Thompson – Curator (Creative Time).
Michael Ferrari-Fontana – Sculptor, responsible for robotic carving and hand finishing.
Eric Hagan – Sugar artist, responsible for sugar casting and experimentation with sugar mixtures.