A Subtlety

A Subtlety was a colossal, temporary art installation by artist Kara Walker that transformed the cavernous halls of the Domino Sugar Factory in Williamsburg during the summer of 2014. At the heart of the space sat a massive sphinx-like figure, standing thirty-five feet tall and stretching seventy-five feet long, coated entirely in eighty tons of white sugar. The sculpture’s surface was textured with a mixture of confectionary sugar applied by hand over a core of polystyrene blocks, creating a blindingly white, monumental form that dominated the industrial decay of the site. This project marked the first time the artist worked on such a massive, three-dimensional public scale, departing from her famous silhouette-based explorations of history and race.