"VALUE TEST: RECOLLECTION OF TONE", MARY W.D. GRAHAM

APRIL 26, 2025

Mary W.D. Graham activated Value Test: Brown Paper through a live performance of two monologues, embodying the subjects depicted within the paintings. The performance draws upon the fictitious nature of the portraits in Value Test, almost all of which were rendered using photo collage as reference as opposed to a single model. The result is the creation of singular characters, each of whom embody the oral history and storytelling present within discussions of colorism within Black communities.