Am I What You're Looking For | Portland State University

Am I What You're Looking For?

Endia Beal

A young Black woman stands in front of a photo backdrop of a generic office suite. Her pose is confident, arms crossed in front of her. In front of and around the backdrop are carpet, furniture and a potted plant.

Tianna, 2016. Image courtesy of the artist

A young Black woman stands in front of a photo backdrop of a generic office suite. Her pose appears apprehensive. The backdrop is hung in a home setting, with couches, a lamp and wall mirrors visible.

Dontia, 2015. Image courtesy of the artist

A young Black woman stands in front of a photo backdrop of a generic office suite. Her pose is confident, her gaze meeting the viewer. The backdrop is hung in a home environment, and a shelf of family photos can be seen at left.

Abriana, 2016. Image courtesy of the artist

Two young Black women stand back-to-back in front of a photo backdrop of a generic office suite. The backdrop is hung in a home environment, and home decor can be seen in the background, such as a vase with plants.

Kyandra and Shakiya, 2016. Image courtesy of the artist

A young Black woman stands in front of a photo backdrop of a generic office suite. Her pose is confident, with gaze cast downward. The backdrop is hung in a home, with hardwood floor, a couch, plants and family photos.

Jayia, 2015. Image courtesy of the artist

All five of the previous photos are shown framed on a dark grey wall, with descriptive plaques next to them. A person is walking in the foreground.

Photo by Evan La Londe

About the artwork

Endia Beal
Left to right: Tianna, Dontia, Abriana, Kyandra and Shakiya, Jaiya, 2015-2016
Dimensions (h x w x d): 28" x 40", 26" x 40", 26" x 40", 29" x 40", 28" x 40"
Pigment prints
Located in Fariborz Maseeh Hall, second floor north hallway

These five prints come from Endia Beal's photographic series Am I What You're Looking For? Each photo is accompanied by a paragraph-long quote from its subject, as follows:

Tianna, 20: “In corporate America it is twice as hard to not only be a woman, but also a black woman. As black women we get more responsibility, but hardly enough power.”

Dontia, 21: “I believe I can dominate corporate America. Although I will need to network a lot more than my white counterparts to get my foot in the door, I believe once in, I will excel.”

Abriana, 23: “To me, corporate America is feeling obligated to do whatever it takes to fit in and to be taken seriously. That is before you realize that black womanhood and its all-encompassing culture and beauty is the best thing to offer Corporate America. From there, you flourish.”

Shakiya, 24: “Honestly, it can be intimidating. The major industries that come together to make corporate - "America", a country that claims to be all inclusive, is mainly comprised of one type of person. That person is the white male... and there isn't a book you can read or a certification you can get to make you more of a white male - you are or you aren’t….

Jayia, 26: “When I think of corporate, I think about chains of command, big business and political systems. As a single, black mother, it is challenging because I do not fit the norm or ideal.”

As an article about the series on Vice.com states, "Beal records young, educated black women who are about to enter the workforce for the first time. She poses the women in their family homes, in front of a photo backdrop of an office space where she formerly worked. According to Beal, she positioned the women 'between the worlds of identity and conformity'—they are anticipating the obstacles they might encounter on their career path because they are black women who look like black women. For the project, Beal's subjects dress themselves in what they consider to be ideal professional attire, and she asks them mock interview questions."

About the artist

Endia Beal is a North Carolina-based artist, who is internationally known for her photographic narratives and video testimonies that examine the personal, yet contemporary stories of marginalized communities and individuals. Beal currently serves as the Director of Diggs Gallery at Winston-Salem State University and Associate Professor of Art.

See more of Beal's work on her website.

This work was acquired through Oregon's Percent for Art in Public Places Program, managed by the Oregon Arts Commission.

Banner image: Photo by Evan La Londe.