Form of Art?

(Taken from March Issue of Vogue)

Ok, so I know this is old news; but this Roberto Cavalli ad in this month's issue of Vogue takes me back to this issue.

In the October issue of French Vogue, Lara Stone posed in black face. Many people found themselves in a time warp where blacks were mocked in Vaudeville and the silver screen. The dramatic coal colored skin and hulking white lips, reminds some of the old shuckin' and jivin', lazy and watermelon eating stereotypes burned in the minds of the offended. Art critics and fans of the photo immediately classified the photos as  works of art, not a statement of racism. Like other issues of race, the photos were talked about in blogs across the country then forgotten.

Although the models in Cavalli's ad are not in black face, they are covered in enough faux tanner to give the effect of darker skin, and depending on the eye, a different race. Why not use a black model to make your point? With models like Chanel Iman and Quiana Grant, surely there's not a lack of beautiful black women. Is is truly a work of art or racism in its truest form?