Shifting your gaze: ‘Negus’, a dynamic and revolutionary approach to fine art.

One of Brooklyn’s finest, a child of hip-hop’s Golden Era and regarded as one of the genre’s most introspective and insightful artists, Yasiin Bey more commonly known as Mos Def has shaped a career that exceeds the boundaries that persist within musical genres and artistic expression. Bey has been garnering attention his entire career, confronting challenging social issues through his music with his wit and wordplay- particularly about the black experience in America and the world at large, through an Afrocentric lens. With Negus, maybe his most audacious artistic endeavor yet, it has landed him both praise and impertinent scrutiny from some about his undertaking of such a daring artistic endeavor.

Negus is a royal title in Ge` ez, an ancient Ethiopian Semitic language that denotes a monarch and which has been used to translate the words “king” or “emperor” in literature. It is used as the title to the current audio-visual installation at the Brooklyn Museum of his latest studio recording. Delivered through the usage of wireless headphones, the 28-minute long album will not be released in any digital or analog mediums, and is touted as an artistic experience devoid of “the distractions of technology.” Bey called upon the talents of various contemporary visual artists such as Julie Mehretu, Ala Ebtekar among others and commissioned them to create works (in collaboration with Bey) specifically for the installation after hearing the album. This dynamic and revolutionary approach to artistic creativity continues the upward trend of Rap solidifying its claim as fine art.

Courtesy of The Third Line.

In a recent interview, Bey proposed that his approach seeks to remove the hard line of what is considered fine art- not limiting it to only something one can hang on a wall, but extending it to music, specifically hip-hop music. He saught dynamism in the experience of art by uniquely juxtaposing the traditional museum experience. This juxtaposition boldly infringes upon the long-held fallacy of what it is to be cultured in the traditional fine art sphere, where a cultural gap has always been present between refined high art enjoyed and advertized in white history and culture, and art of people of color. An essay was written recently on Pitchfork.com about the exhibition which expressed a somewhat distant view of this insightful undertaking in art and dismayingly so, highlighted the troubling thought that art may just be losing its aesthetic appeal, even to those among us who rely on its longevity for inspiration.

Photo by Tiffany Sage/BFA.com

The essay partly assumes that the combination of hip hop music and fine art is a plea for validation from the art establishment, to rescue the genre from its assumed lower class. The success surrounding this long documented courtship of fine art and hip hop is widely debated with varying opinions, but historically the relationship has always been present. Rap’s early marriage with graffiti art in the early 80’s sparked the growing influence of art in the genre. With each era however where we see a change in artistic expression, the dynamics surrounding its relationship with music simply repositions itself to further fuel the debate. From artists like Jay- Z and Sean ‘Diddy’ Combs indicating their wealth through the purchase of multi-million dollar artwork, to the increasing number of music videos with embedded visuals of paintings and sculpture, we see that this romance has matured to what Yasiin Bey helped to curate.

The Negus installation is yet another attempt at enlightening us to the powerful influence of black culture, which seeks no validation nor kowtows for attention. From artists like Kehinde Wiley, Isis Kenney (@icewatercandy) and Thomas Evans (@detour303), it is evident that fine art and hip hop have found a life-long marriage that bridge the cultural divide, and stands face to face with the conventions of classism. I further assert that once more, black culture has found yet another way to penetrate the fine art canon, and continue to dispel misconceptions surrounding our ability to pioneer and shape the future. Furthermore, as artists and creators, let us continue this trend of black excellence fueled by unabated creativity and live by the words of Thomas Evans “Be the artist that you would want to meet.”

 

 

 

 

Window To My Soul Exhibition

 

The reception for the Window To My Soul Exhibition commenced on June 4th at the Athens Public Library, in beautiful Athens Ohio. The exhibition was a mixture of some of my most poignant earlier work that has resonated well with a wide audience, plus a few newer pieces that cohesively blend into my artistic vision and body of work.

 

 

The exhibit displayed 10 pieces, from limited edition prints to original paintings. It called for each visitor to have a sense of connectivity with fine art; connectivity that is increasingly lacking, as fine art is being vastly devalued because of what I believe is the de-sensitivity to it, partly as a result of the oversaturation of the market with bad or meaningless art. In my artist talk which is an important presentation at all my exhibitions, I challenged each individual to engage in provocative conversations surrounding each work as they engage with the symbology embedded in every piece.

Peilian Wu

 

I had the opportunity to share the space with another phenomenal artist, Peilian Wu. In her own words, Wu explains that her artwork is “influenced by formulas in traditional Chinese paintings which can be traced back to texture strokes in Ming landscape painting.” Her interpretation of the Ohio landscape in this style was a refreshing take on the natural beauty of the area, which I as a fellow international artist have come to love and represent in my own art. What I admired most about her work is her conveyance of cultural identity through her traditional style, which is seen as a direct extension of herself as a Chinese artist.

 

It was nice to see a few familiar faces who supported my previous shows in Athens, but even better to see some new faces who got introduced to brand ABFA that evening. My gratitude extends to each and every person who attended the exhibit and to those who helped to make it a complete success.

Myself and Curator Todd Bastin

 With another exhibition under my belt in Athens, I set my sights on surrounding towns in Ohio, aiming to diversify their artistic landscape and open doors of opportunity for artists of color like myself who have found a home in hidden gems across the American landscape similar to Athens Ohio.

 

 

 

 

 

Artistic License​

 

As artists, we have the right to express our interpretations through artistic license, free from being held strictly accountable for accuracy and, to be free from those who wish to suppress our freedom in creativity. Artists are notorious for creating their works from the inspiration that may arise in being exposed to other original ideas but are interpreted differently. This partly drives new and innovative art and awards us with keys to open new doors in interpreting and representing what is in our own heads.

Bouncing Ideas

Artistic license has always played a major role in my career, for I find inspiration in just about anything. I remember while growing up- and even still today- pouring over magazines and picture books that simply stretch my imagination. I may twirl the idea around in my head all day, just to get a feel of each minute part which will all harmonize and coexist in a composition. With all these fresh and exciting variations, each jostling to find a foothold, it is very important to apply a method of ideation which will help isolate the useful gems of information that will allow your own creative interpretations to be applied. When dealing with a reference photo or something that has already been created, be mindful your final piece isn’t a replica, unless it is identified as a copy of the original.

Flying Too Close To the Sun.

One of the attributes of ideation is that it is open to constant change, and with artistic license, you are free to represent those ideas however you wish. Challenges may arise however, for with a lack of correct information an artist may find his/ herself having to explain why a certain element takes on a certain appearance, especially in representational work or realism. With this thought in mind, it is possible to unintentionally use artistic license which may be to the demise of what could be a rather good composition, especially if it is of a more artistically ambitious or complex subject matter.

Take for example being an artist in Westen civilization and attempting to convey historical events or the like from Eastern civilization. Without accurate and detailed information, representing events would be vastly different and even grossly erroneous based on misinterpreted accounts. The artist may not be deliberately trying to misrepresent the inspiration, but not having the correct knowledge, he/she knows no better.

Feel free as an artist to find inspiration in the works of other artists. Inspiration is a very personal experience, but never should you feel reticent to disclose where it came from because of a fear of opinions about originality. Ideas exist in a free world and artists are oftentimes the ones with the inclination to snag them and create works of art.

 

 

On The Easel Today.

On my easel today I have yet another landscape painting, and you know well my love of creating beautiful landscape and seascape pieces. In this new work, I intended on portraying the majestic beauty of clouds and the effect they have in this work of art. In the piece, perspective plays a vital role, and this is primarily as a result of the clouds. Take a look below.

 

 

In landscape art, the understanding and usage of values and the principle of perspective is the most important thing to consider. In representing nature, one has to capture the essence of 3-dimensional space on a 2-dimensional surface, so the sense of depth is essential and is achieved through the proper treatment of the elements contained in a composition. Even in non-representational paintings such as abstract landscape painting, the paint can be used skillfully to convey depth. This is where Atmospheric Perspective can come into play. The clouds in the artwork recede into the distance, taking your eyes along a visual path deep into the horizon. Pay close attention to the cloud formations and their relationship with perspective, coupled with their direction in the composition.

 

Like many of my other “scapes”,  they boast a deep understanding of how to achieve depth in an artwork. Always paint with the principles and elements of art in mind. They are your framework for successful representations and connecting visually to your audience.

 

 

 

 

 

 

A mash-up of Universes.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

Recently I stumbled upon a post by Mark Wilson of Fastcompany.com titled “ Famous modernist homes get horrifying Thomas Kinkade makeover”. Architect @robyniko explored the dramatic effects of the worlds that Thomas Kinkade creates with the addition of modern architecture by creating a series of “Kinkade mash-ups”. The title of the post caught my attention, for in this case the use of the word “horrifying” may just be a bit too harsh of an assessment.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

The fusion of modernism and traditional art is becoming increasingly important in the 21^stcentury. Thanks to Cara Greenberg who coined the phrase mid- century modernism for her book Mid-Century Modernism: Future of the 1950’s tremendous strides have been made in the movement, and since then artists and painters like myself have become increasingly more open to ideas of fusion of the differing aspects of each method of art creation. There is however the question of aesthetics and its importance- and furthermore the impact that will be had if or when modernism is introduced.

[Photo illustration @robyniko]

In my own assessment of each piece, I believe inharmonious is more suitable. As much as the editing to create each piece was masterfully done, based on what we know of Kinkade’s work, the introduction of modernist architecture is not as seamless as the innate aesthetic of his original creations.  This is a fresh, new take on artwork that has been a part of many homes worldwide for decades. Needless to say however, the reactions to @robyniko’s work have been mixed. The works have been well received by a wide audience; despite being almost polar opposite of Kinkade’s romanticized downhome feel.

On The Easel Today.

On the easel today July 15, 2018 features yet another painting that explores my appreciation and reverence to the female figure- exploring sensuality and feminine sexuality. In the piece, a rather scantily clad model lays flat on her back with her legs raised, supported by a flat surface. In an apparent state of comfort and ease, her body relaxes; arms showing carefree abandon to her repose as the essence of her femininity is captured in a single moment.

    Artists for centuries have sought to capture natural beauty, whether governed by ideological status quo or by accurate observation and representation. In my painting, her body- curvy and mature in womanhood, shows her self-confidence unapologetically, and puts on display her natural beauty regardless of ideological interpretations. She represents the beauty that comes with age, timeless experience, failures and blissful triumph. A true woman of character displays that triumph by simply bearing it all for it to be appreciated, for as they say “true beauty is in the eyes of the beholder”.

On The Easel Today.

This edition of On The Easel today March 27, 2017 features my second installment in the Boots and Bricks series. This painting is a little different from the first in the series. How different you wonder? Well in this piece, the bricks are those of Athens Ohio, and the shoes are different. In my description of the first painting in the series, I highlighted that it was created for the town of Nelsonville, and represented what the town is historically known for: its bricks and Rocky Boots, which headquarters there. In this new painting the bricks of Athens Ohio are immortalized by my hand, and the representation of the culture and people are in the style of shoes I placed in the composition.

Similarly to the rugged work boots which represent the hardworking and blue-collar workers who built the town of Nelsonville, the youth and modernity of the culture in Athens is represented by the shoes in painting. The Converse brand of shoes is a common sight around Athens, and in my interpretation of what best symbolizes the predominant age demographic in the town; it was fitting to use this idea. In all my paintings I aim to have you be apart of the piece, not just be an observer, and this piece is no different.

The seemingly magnified view of the elements in the painting is done to visually engage you in the artwork, bringing you close to what I actually see every time I look at the bricks while walking down Court Street on a rainy day. In painting this, I told myself that I wanted my viewer to not look at the bricks the same again. I want you to see the history, see the work put in to lay those bricks, and how similar those bricks are to the people in the town. A brick by itself is just another brick, and no two bricks are the same.Yet when put together, they create something special, and make a place that more historic based on what they created.

 

On the Easel Today.

This edition of On the Easel Today Tuesday March 7, 2017 features my newest painting titled ‘When The Rain Comes’. As many of my other pieces, this painting contains a particular mix of symbology that encompasses my interpretation of a number of feelings and situations in my life; and on a broader scale, topics, ideologies and feelings that many people face in their own lives every day.

Upon analysis of the work, the imagery is in your face, bold and detailed in its presentation. My palette was deliberate, and specific to the overall mood I intended to capture. I tackled the topic of ideology and its emotional effect through my depiction of the figure in the piece. I’m confident that in your initial analysis, you will think of this figure as a black Jesus, but let us take that interpretation a step further from the norm of the popular Western religious ideology. This piece explores the system of ideas and ideals that cause us to all have such a first impression, and aims to broaden your thoughts beyond what you have come to so easily interpret at face value.

Particular elements in this piece serve to engage you in the significance of the ideas I propose. This work is not only about being black, and facing insurmountable challenges as a result of our affliction, but also about being human and apart of a system that causes one to sometimes feel crucified based on ones personal ideals, feelings and simply the day to day challenges, that sometimes outweigh the good that happened in your life a short time ago. The point of view in which the work is done is very intimate, and symbolical as well. Looking from a birds eye view down on the subject gives the you an observative perspective, similar to looking through a magnifying glass down at an anthill with the curiosity and fascination of a child.

Throughout the painting there are raindrops, and this is the basis of the title. Metaphorically the raindrops represents the aforementioned challenges of ideals and feelings that seem to fall like rain on us when life is, needless to say, tough. Those challenges are what oftentimes put me ‘in the shoes’ of Jesus, in the story of the crucifixion. The detail in the piece is done to involve you emotionally in the work, bringing a greater understanding to your period of seeming crucifixion and personifying it. So many people are soaking wet from feeling that rain of challenge and despair, while knowing that some go through this life seemingly impervious to those challenges that countless people face every day, and are subsequently incapable of empathetically relating to the feelings of others facing those challenges.

This painting is geared at allowing people to understand perspective, and as Bob Marley famously said in one of his songs “some people feel the rain. Others just get wet.” So in your observation of this painting, keep in mind perspective, challenge yourself to let empathy guide your perspectives, and never forget to feel the rain, not just get wet by it.

 

Portrait of St. Leo (Usain St.Leo Bolt).

Who is the fastest man in the world, do you know? If you are into sports, especially track and field this question is easy to answer: Usain Bolt. When I say his name it brings chills and goosebumps to me. Why, you may ask? It’s not only because he is the greatest sprinter in the world, and its not only because he has broken his own world records multiple times either. It’s because he has transcended the term “track and field icon”, and the fact that he is Jamaican makes it even sweeter. Usain St. Leo Bolt is not only the fastest man in the world currently, he has been so for quite a long time now, and will possibly stay that way for decades to come, possibly forever.

Usain is one of us. When I say that I mean, he is one of us Jamaican boys, having dreams of being like the sports icons we admired growing up, or one of the many people who have made a positive and permanent mark in this world, like Marcus Garvey did, and Bob Marley. Growing up in Jamaica and running around barefooted, playing football (soccer) outside with the other children in the neighborhood…just being rowdy island boys is the norm, and to think that Usain came from such humble beginning, to now being one of the biggest names in the entire world, words cant really describe the feeling it gives. When he shattered arguably the most iconic of all records, which he set a few years before at the IAAF World Championships, clocking 9.69 seconds in the 100m sprint and claiming the gold medal, a new identity took shape- a new identity for not only him, but for us as Jamaicans- for us as Jamaican men.

Coming back in 2009 and outdoing what he did a few years before to clock a blistering 9.58 seconds, which to most was the most unbelievable thing they ever witnessed in their professional career, and in reality, ever, Bolt set in stone his mark on this world, and a mark for Jamaicans everywhere. A standard was set. A standard that makes Jamaicans everywhere walk with their heads high, flags high, and voices send out. For this small country, no bigger than Colorado to feel like it is the biggest country in the entire world, with the proudest and most patriotic people in the entire world, it causes chills and goosebumps. This is why I wanted to show my appreciation for him by doing this portrait. In this portrait, I aimed at capturing his intensity in profile and also this silent charisma, that plays well with his bravado.

Artistic battle royal.

Have you ever heard of the name Stewart Davis? How about Clarence Weinstock? Well if these names are familiar to you, you may be aware of the dialectical back and forth between them regarding their views about abstract art and representational art. Davis was a painter whose work tended towards abstraction, even though he rejected the art-for-art’s sake position. He addressed the economic condition of American artists during the period of the Depression, and was a prominent figure in the Artist’s Union.

Weinstock, assistant editor of New Masses and subsequent editor of the Artists Union bulletin, published by the WPA federal art project group in 1934, had his own opinion about abstract art that contradicted those of Davis- while expressing his support of representational art. This exchange sheds some light into left-wing artistic debates in the 1930s in the United States. Davis’ introduction to the catalogue of an exhibition at the Whitney Museum of American Art, New York, February to March 1935 states his defensive stance of abstract art. Davis’ essay was placed in Art Front, by then magazine editor Clarence Weinstock (vol. 1, no 4, New York, April 1935).

Weinstock shot back with a response stating his position, which claimed that figurative art alone could adequately address the conflicts of the modern world. I am sure at some point in your life (if you enjoy looking at art) you have asked yourself while looking at an abstract piece, what is this saying? Or what is it supposed to mean? For me being an artist that enjoys looking at art, and who understands it, I have asked myself this question numerous times as I view an abstract or semi- abstract piece. This is normal I’ve come to realize, because to understand abstract art one has to understand how abstract artists view their medium of expression.

Davis, in defining abstract art highlights that the definition would vary, depending on each artist’s opinion as to what abstract art is to them; however he says that there is a general concordance of opinion that supports the generative idea of abstract art as a living thing that changes, moves and grows like a living organism. This outlook on art far exceeds that of any that I have ever heard before, and one that is important to remember when talking about any piece of art, abstract or representational. To an extent it defines how many artists see their work- and shows the personal value that it has to the artist.

Weinstock retorted by flipping the script a little, saying that ‘any painting may be considered abstract, at a certain stage of analysis’. His opinion here has some truth to it, where in that stage only the color-form categories are being highlighted for study. He furthermore stated that even the most abstract painting could be seen as representational to certain viewers, whether in simplicity or complexity based on the person’s perception of arbitrary space relations. His take is very compelling and adds a very different outlook on the perception of works of art.

Weinstock in his rebuttal of Davis’ opinions made some very exceptional assertions, that makes this debate one that will forever go on. At any rate, the battles of words over the years between the ideas of abstract artists and representational artists have helped to evolve our beloved craft. Now in the 21^st century we see a culmination of ideas that pair both the usage of abstract and representational art to create new works of art, that cohesively intertwine the alluring aesthetics of both mediums of expression.

This cohesive relationship is seen widely in graphic design and digital illustration. We see that as the world advances technologically artists have evolved as well, and discussions are not so much now about the contradictions between the artistic expressions, but the fusion between them that will unlock ultimately a new frontier in art in the future.