Spencer Museum of Art

Adrian Piper

United States, born 1948
Calling cards
Offset lithographs, not dated
Gift of Andrea S. Norris

Most of Piper’s work has been in the area of performance art and photography, media she uses to explore issues of identity. Piper, a light-skinned African-American woman, had these cards printed to offer to individuals who made assumptions about her identity. One was given to individuals who, assuming she was white, did not hesitate to make racist remarks about Blacks in her presence. The other card was to be given to individuals who assumed that she was sexually available because she was unaccompanied.