SERENGETI
"16 X 20"
Back to the 90's pieces. You may think of me as wild in nature for saying this but I love to watch footage of Lions hunting and killing their prey. Yes, I am a stone carnivore but I couldn't help but to capture the beauty of such a scene (minus the blood and gore) on canvas. The lion is a cutout I created from cardboard. I used two sheets of printed fabric for all of the pieces. By the way, all of the fabrics used in my work are imported from Senegal which I purchased from a local vendor on 125th St. in Harlem, NYC
450.00 US
LEGEND OF THE BLUE PALM
"24 X 24"
I am a writer as well and storytelling brings worlds together. It is the backbone of all cultures and one of the first and oldest forms of communication (the other being music). This very rich blue was inspired by the Batik fabric the figures where taken from. I figured the one figure standing was telling a story with a percussion accompaniment, much like a spoken word artist. The title sounds like an action adventure movie and who knows, I just might write the script.
Creativity and imagination is an artists' strongest tool for survival. I can usually figure out what to do in a crisis without freaking out. It also helps me escape when I don't want to be bothered. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not Jimmy Stewart in "Harvey" here but I like to be quiet, sketch, color, listen to music in my bedroom or living room, just totally enraptured in my art.
1500.00 US
NAMIBIA
"11 x 14"
A friend once told me this painting reminded him of the colors of the Barbados national flag. (Is it? or do I have the wrong island?) Anyway this is a 90's piece (by the way I was listening to C&C Music Factory, one of those flashy 90's dance groups at the time and fell in love with most of the decades R&B and Dance music. "Everybody dance now!...." anyway, back to the piece. This was inspired by a NAT GEO segment on the country of Namibia, its wildlife and people. It was very beautiful, I commend the photogs of NG for their shots and cinematic scope to really engross you in the mood of where ever they are on the planet. It's process is very simple really, I could teach you how to make your own for a fee of course. Afro-Dimensionalism is very easy to achieve if your thinking on the plane of simplicity. In the case of all of the 90's pieces it was, fabric, cardboard, pre stretched canvas, Acrylic paint, fabric and Elmer's glue plus a pair of sharp scissors for clean, crisp cuts. Little touches such as the silk flowers can be purchased at Bridal favor stores or found at Arts & Crafts stores like" Pearl Paint, (down here it's "Hobby Lobby" & "Micheals") If your going for a more ambitous project, I suggest you research the subject you want to convey and accumulate the proper materials to achieve it.
400.00 US
WELCOME
"16 x 18"
I love watching sci-fi. It started with watching the old school sci-fi movies my parents grew up seeing and though corney,(i.e. Robby the Robot, String held flying saucers, rubbery monsters, superimposed insects, rabbits, lizards) it was fun to watch. The piece is about transition, now your probably thinking "What does this have to do with Sci-Fi?" Well, its the alien element. In the pianting there are two friendly figures, I'm not sure to what African tribe they belong to but they where cute to me. The quick brush strokes in the back ground represent teleportation, much like what immigrants do today.
I'm going to get on my soap box about a subject and I'll leave it alone. Artist tend to be more than creative when it has to do with politics and society, thier passions are well placed but sometimes they too suffer the wrath of powers that be and the fickle general public who are know to go where the wind blows. With this open forum to exercise my 1st Ammendment rights in, here goes...
I am against illegal entry to the US. One.
Building an obscenely expensive wall to keep the Mexicans out will only make it look like a continuation of the great wall of China; not the best of ideas.
I think stronger laws and procedures should be in place to deter those who come here under the guise of innocence and harbor a sinister agenda to destroy our country with all forms of terrorism and anti-social behavior. (i.e Drugs, crime)
Give the U.S. Border Patrol the money for the wall and give them the tools( i.e. better firearms, SUV's, Jeeps, Dunebuggys, BMX bikes, Dogs, air support with heavy artillery) resources ( more people with military experience) and education (old school Roman tactics and how armies dealt with invasions throughout history) necessary to deal with this issue and stop bitchin' about it. Besides, other groups get in from Alaska, Canada as well as the Caribbean so why even bother?
I also don't believe in treating people like they are the lowest lifeforms on the planet because we (Americans) are allegedly better off. I don't believe in discriminating against immigrants because they are culturally, ethnically different and speak an "Alien" language.
Now you can hate me for a minute, but it's the damn real truth......
Americans can be real monsters at times, I'd like to clarify that when foriegners talk about the country, they are directing their hatred towards the Whites in particular, (you know why so dont start screamin'. It's one of many reasons why certain factions want to blow us off the map). With your PC rules, spoiled lifestyles, little cliquish sub-cultures, capitalistic obsessed, selfish, have and have not beliefs, greedy, wasteful attitudes and hateful mindsets
Example: ("Go back to Africa!", and other ignorant racial statements [I was born here! I'm not going anywhere! most minorities who were would reply] .)
I'm not proud that I'm part of such a contradictory country, that allows for some and condemns others who come here to find freedom. We forget that this nation was built by MANY groups from everywhere else and some of us think that this land is "ours" and promote this primative, territorial claim like wild animals fighting rivals.
With that said, here's my solution.......
If I where God, I'd get rid of the Devil like a version of Cliff Notes. Skip over the long parts and to the point. Throw him in hell along with every human who ever though or perpetrated evil on humanity. Every inhuman act originates from Hell and that is why we can't get rid of Racism and all the "isms" that are associated with evil.
Only Intercessory Prayer, communication, peace, understanding and knowledge ( not flimsy "Tolerance" or "Acknowledgement") can only make things better.
And to the White Folks: (The isolated, malcontented ones anyway)....
I'm sorry you think all Blacks are a crime and drug addicted culture that talks in slang, plays sports and provides entertainment or really damn good cooking, I'm shocked you've never eaten real Asian food ( not the hole in the wall around the corner but actually gone to Indonesia, China or Japan) or ever seen traditional Muslim women in their robes or heard Spanish music or seen tribes in the far reaches of the world continue barbaric practices as rites of passage or even said hello to your East Indian neighbor but you all have to get over your ignorance, fears and paranoia and join the real world! Not stay locked up in yours! Talk about encroachment what will happen when your neighborhood turns into a global party? Are you going to run to your local official and complain about "Those People, their smelly spices and thier jungle music??" Where are you gonna run? There is no place on Earth, unless your a native animal of the Antarctic or the deserts, to live comfortably (with your little ipods, blackberries, notebooks, DTV, your double half caf latte with skim, water bottles and energy bars) without being bothered. And another thing, don't tell me you've made an "effort" to make friends, to volunteer, to give to charity, how you've grown up with minorities etc. that's not the point of this statement, it's about intergration.
With that said... (Whew) I'm going to say this....
There is no place I rather be but there are times I don't want to be here. If America was as strong as its hate, we'd really be the most powerful nation in the world.
To close, if I ever recieved an offer from an Alien from another solar system to live in harmony with billions of peace loving societies; you better believe I'd take them up on it. For the rest of you, WELCOME TO EARTH SUCKAS!
550.00 US
