Lorna Simpson (American, born 1960) Counting, 1991 Photogravure with silkscreen, 73 3/4 x 38" The Gerald B. Elliott Fund, 1992

Have you ever told a story by using pictures? In visual art, this is called a narrative. To Lorna Simpson, one of the most important narratives, or stories, to tell is the experience of African-American women in our society. Their story stretches back far in the past, from the time slaves were first brought to North America, to today.

In books, stories are often accompanied by pictures. In Lorna Simpson's artwork, pictures are accompanied by words. Read the words next to each photograph. Look at the photograph carefully. What do the words mean? Do they help you understand the pictures? Why or why not? Why do you think Ms. Simpson titled this artwork Counting?

Photographers make very important choices when they take a picture. One choice they can make is to crop a picture-to take only a part of the whole picture. Why do you think the picture of the person does not show the face? Can you tell whether the uppermost photograph shows a man or a woman? Are there any clues in the other photographs or text (the art-world term for writing) that might help you decide whether this is a man or a woman?

Sometimes it helps to know some extra information in order to interpret what you see in an artwork. The middle photograph is a smokehouse in South Carolina that was once used as a slave hut. Does this help you to guess some new meanings for the text next to this photograph? The bottom photograph is braided hair. Does this help you to get more ideas from the text next to this photograph?