Grey Area (Brown Version) by Fred Wilson on View at the Brooklyn Museum

Fred Wilson's "Grey Area (Brown Version)" is part of the Contemporary Art Collection of the Brooklyn Museum. This piece is comprised of five busts of the Egyptian queen Nefertiti, each bust measuring 8 3/4 x 9 x 13 in. (47.6 x 22.9 x 33 cm) made of plaster. The artist purchased and painted the busts, illustrating a value scale ranging in color from oatmeal to dark chocolate, raising controversial questions about the racial identity of ancient Egyptians. He has said of his practice, “I use beauty as a way of helping people to receive difficult or upsetting ideas. The topical issues are merely a vehicle for making one aware of one’s own perceptual shift—which is the real thrill.” Wilson is an American artist born in 1954. This artwork is on view in the Contemporary Art Galleries, 4th Floor of the museum.