Google Her Honour Judge Barbara Mensah, the first Circuit Judge of African origin in England and Wales when appointed in ’05, and animated pictures will pop up of her speaking at a podium or posing in her robes and white judges’ wig. In front of Carey Young’s camera, however, Judge Mensah sits almost motionless, making steady eye contact with us, a larger-than-life presence who seems to be waiting for us to speak. She is one of fifteen female judges from the UK who are featured in the video ‘Appearance,’ now on view at Paula Cooper Gallery in Chelsea, a title which doesn’t just refer to a court appearance but to the appearance of the judges who sit on the bench and embody the law. Closeups of jewelry, hair and shoes highlight the individuality of each judge. By celebrating ‘women in control of justice,’ as she puts it, Young points to the diversity she sees in the current legal system and her hopes for the future. (On view through Feb 17th).
