Artist Talk

I needed to practice my Artist Talk so the senior center hosted a program featuring me and the Men on December 11. I brought four of the Men and the Serengeti painting. The chairs were arranged into a horseshoe to encourage conversation.

This was probably one of the rare occasions where this audience of senior white People talked about race and stereotypes. Many of them knew me as a volunteer and were surprised to learn I was an artist.

Today as I was leaving the center after a workout two of the attendees stopped me to chat about how much she enjoyed the talk and a previous experience where she stereotyped. The fact that she stopped me to chat let me know I’m doing important work with this art.

The gaze

I was sitting in the studio today having completed varnishing LaMar and decided to pull out the other paintings to review my progress. There is a distinction between how I approached each male with color and brushwork. Some have detailed strokes while others are flickers or markings. Fabrics vary among the men and each presented a unique challenge to capture.

What I was fixated on during the inspection was being surrounded by the collective gaze and the feelings it conjures. I’m sure the feelings will differ with each viewer and I hope they pay attention to the feelings. This is worth exploring and discussing in a group setting.

LaMar

The final painting before the Northwestern University exhibit. This was completed in three weeks. I met this brother at my Chicago exhibition in February 2016 and never knew his name or story. I’m really pleased with the combination of realism, color, and the size.

I named him LaMar.

Rashaun Rodney and Marshawn

The three men were completed on November 11 and I was able to relax for a week before resuming the last piece before the February 2018 show at Northwestern.

Between the brothas

I spent the first half of 2017 taking a break from (In)Visible Men to get this painting completed. The image was taken from my retirement trip to Tanzania to trek Mt. Kilimanjaro and safari in the Serengeti. These children were out walking in the savanna and approached us while we were looking at the termite pillar. I love how the figures look like the elongated carvings from some of the cultures there.

I haven’t forgotten you brothas

I haven’t forgot you Shawn, Rodney, and Marshawn. I was away from this piece for more than a year.  I’d been busy climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and working on a piece from the trip. But I’m back and this will be complete before December in preparation for a February 2018 show at Northwestern University.