Explore the Constellation
After the Storm CNN
Art
2008
The painting suggests that media coverage shaped views of Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.
Hurricane Katrina’s destruction and aftermath was broadcast via 24-hour news sites like CNN. Some felt that biased media coverage affected public perception of New Orleans and its inhabitants. Research shows that during coverage of predominantly Black survivors of Hurricane Katrina, racial stereotypes of Black New Orleanians shaped media story angles, language, and consequently public opinion and policy.
Houston-based artist Floyd Newsum helped people flee Katrina’s aftermath in his church’s van and documented Katrina’s impact in his art. After the Storm CNN depicts a fragmented landscape of abstract objects and images contained within a sea of blue, suggesting Katrina’s chaos and complexity. Ladders suggest hope, deliverance, and second chances.
