black madonnas
Originally created as 3 small freestanding altars/installations for a chapel in Union Seminary. The 3 madonnas portray Putlibai Ghandi, Louise Norton, and Alberta Williams King grappling with their loss of their sons Mahatmas Ghandi, Martin Luther King Jr., and Malcolm X. For the exhibition, Cousins sought to explore “What defines the Madonna?” Her answer was that it is the point at which a woman is challenged to sacrifice what she holds dear in service of she believes in most. When the average human would falter, the Madonna’s faith continues and what looks like defeat is somehow transformed.
Note: Ghandi is included based on Cousins’ travels to the UK, where she learned that the term black was originally defined as “not white.” It was therefore used to describe persons of Asian descent, African descent, and any other people of color.
