MY urban pop life
Artist Statement
I believe that self is a performance and that notions of self are developed in direct relationship to the images and information provided to us via the media, religion & our respective peer groups and families. I am interested in exploring & examining the power of fine art & pop-culture to inform the development & performance of self while demonstrating the transformative power of change.
In my portrait series All Black Kings Go To Heaven, I use a commercial fashion inspired portrait style & mock ad campaign to examine the objectification of the black male & its effects on the performance of self, to insert the black male into the on-going visual dialogue the American man as well as to celebrate the beauty, humanity & strength of men of African descent.
In my portrait series & forthcoming documentary film A Portrait of The Life, I utilize a commercial fashion/editorial-influenced style of photography to capture & illustrate the diversity of the African-American LGBTQ community. My paintings, prints, videos & forthcoming installations and performances are an examination of the objectification of people of color & the effects of this objectification on the performance of self.
