Volgens Kerry James Marshall is ons begrip van schoonheid sterk beïnvloed door de dominante, geïdealiseerde beelden van voornamelijk het vrouwelijke (blanke) lichaam. Hij maakte verschillende schilderijen waarin hij dit thema onderzoekt vanuit alternatieve perspectieven.

"What's excellent is always beautiful: A perfection of form - not necessarily symmetry, but when the relationships among parts seem essential. That doesn't always mean grace; it can also be coarse. There's a beautiful horror. John Graham says, in 'System and Dialectics of Art', that beauty is the beautiful taken to the verge of ugliness. Beauty isn't prettiness, but an understanding of the relationship of the parts. You can calculate how a thing has been pushed as far as it can be pushed, but with control. It's not random" (Kerry James Marshall in conversation with Arthur Jafa, 2000)