Collection
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Photography

Pretend #2

Adrian Piper

1 of 4

Object Label

Pretend #2 is constructed from three images of women with their young children. As in most of her work, both as a philosopher and as an artist, Adrian Piper addresses the social and economic imbalance of our world and the issue of racism. In the central image a Caucasian mother smiles proudly, looking straight into the camera. She seems unaware of the anguish of the African mother at the left or the Asian mother at the right. The silkscreened text across the bottom, “Pretend not to know what you know,” connects the three images and forces the viewer to contemplate the frequent denials we choose to make to lessen the pangs of conscience.

Caption

Adrian Piper (American, born 1948). Pretend #2, 1990. Gelatin silver prints with silkscreened text, overall: 43 7/8 × 98 in. (111.4 × 248.9 cm) frame (A): 44 1/8 × 22 × 1 3/4 in. (112.1 × 55.9 × 4.4 cm) frame (B): 44 1/8 × 35 1/8 × 1 3/4 in. (112.1 × 89.2 × 4.4 cm) frame (C): 44 × 31 1/2 × 1 3/4 in. (111.8 × 80 × 4.4 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Purchased with funds given by the Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Fund, 1991.51a-c. © Adrian Piper. (Photo: Brooklyn Museum)

Gallery

Not on view

Collection

Photography

Title

Pretend #2

Date

1990

Medium

Gelatin silver prints with silkscreened text

Classification

Photograph

Dimensions

overall: 43 7/8 × 98 in. (111.4 × 248.9 cm) frame (A): 44 1/8 × 22 × 1 3/4 in. (112.1 × 55.9 × 4.4 cm) frame (B): 44 1/8 × 35 1/8 × 1 3/4 in. (112.1 × 89.2 × 4.4 cm) frame (C): 44 × 31 1/2 × 1 3/4 in. (111.8 × 80 × 4.4 cm)

Credit Line

Purchased with funds given by the Daniel and Joanna S. Rose Fund

Accession Number

1991.51a-c

Rights

© Adrian Piper

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Artists and makers

Adrian Piper

3 works in the collection