Who is in on the joke? Exploring humor in The Block’s collection.

The perception of something as humorous or amusing often depends on context, prompting questions: Who is in on the joke? Is the joke at somebody’s expense? When, why, and how is a work understood to be humorous, and when is it not? 

The Block Museum Student Associates (BMSA), an interdisciplinary group of Northwestern undergraduates, chose humor as the theme for their 2024 art acquisition. After six weeks of discussion and research, the Student Associates recommended the purchase of two works by photographer Cara Romero that poke fun at the many ways Indigenous communities have been misrepresented and stereotyped in American culture. In this installation, we present the BMSA acquisition alongside other works from the museum’s collection related to the theme.