The Brown Paper Bag Test
The Brown Paper Bag Test is an ongoing installation that examines the historical and cultural impact of colorism within the Black community. Referencing the discriminatory practice once used to determine privilege and acceptance based on skin tone, this work uses the brown paper bag as both symbol and material.
The installation features 3,010 brown paper bags, each measuring 5 x 10 inches. Two design approaches are used throughout: hand-drawn portraits and printed text. The portraits depict African American women of varying complexions, directly placed on the bags to highlight the contrast between skin tone and the standard brown hue historically used as a test of belonging. The printed texts offer quotes, reflections, and facts that contextualize the cultural weight of this practice.
Originally begun with 150 bags, the installation has expanded over time as part of a living archive. Each bag contributes to a larger visual statement about identity, exclusion, and resistance, transforming an ordinary object into a layered site of memory, critique, and visibility.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual word bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (Phosphor Project Space wall) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018. (Photo by Centa Schumacher)
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (Phosphor Project Space wall) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018. (Photo by Centa Schumacher)
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual word bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual word bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (Phosphor Project Space wall) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018. (Photo by Centa Schumacher)
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (individual portrait bags) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 – 2018.
The Brown Paper Bag Test (Kipp Gallery at Indiana University of Pennsylvania) - Charcoal and color chalk pastel drawing on 5-1/8" x 3-1/8" x 10-5/8"-inch brown paper bags. 2016 - 2018.