Growing up in Chicago, how did this influence how you perceived art?
Growing up in Chicago my perception of art was always the extraordinary. It provided a feeling of something inexplicably tangible to the mind but felt intangible within perspective but came to fruition. I understood someone had created it in order to for me to see it; and I knew I wanted to do the same. I wasn’t sure which route would equal that satisfaction of purpose I’d eventually be looking for. I have always wanted to be a contributor to the arts, Ironically early on I didn’t realize that art was my everything. Art consumed what I was interested in, everything that entertained me, from the music in my ears to the clothes on my back. It was all a craft to be mastered and molded to push and create new limits of understanding my craft. With all artists of all crafts to emerge from Chicago, they’ve inspired me to push the walls and limits as well in my practice both artistically and philosophically.
When did you start to create art ?
I began creating at the age of two according to my mother and I haven’t looked back since. My home medium bring pencil, I’ve been drawing for 29 years, but professionally practicing and selling my work for five years now, since December of 2017.
Many artists, strive for success through displaying their art in galleries; you graduated from Western Illinois in 2015; What was your artistic process on developing your art after your graduation & what steps did you take to gain more exposure?
Honestly after graduating; I was certain I needed to pursue a career in fine art, I had aspirations of being an advertising agency creative/art director.
It wasn’t until I had attempted to gain employment through a few agencies; at that point I didn’t have prior experience in the field but had the groundwork and ability to learn quickly if given the opportunity, but that wasn’t the path for me. With that disappointment my art took a backseat when I got home from school and I started taking jobs and that’s just what they were..jobs. They provided nothing to start or truly make an honest living off of. The last timeI attempted to accepted a corporate creative role was during my stint at the H&M Call Center office. I was lured in and sold the dream of moving into a role of my aspirations in their creative department, I had a spell of bad luck with clocking in on time due to my commute that caused me to be terminated before that could come to its full potential if it were to at all. Before that was my attempt to work a corporate Human Resources role for a non profit and as a Generalist. This is the job that made me take the leap back into fine art assays to vent out my frustrations that weighed heavily on my mental during my stint with that company. I experienced micro aggressions in every business relationship in the company and I was severely underpaid working on small abstracts to supplement my daily encounters at work as well as the happenings of the world dealing with hearing about police brutalities it seemed daily in that time frame.
During this time I had accrued a few sales of my work and was looking for a more public viewing of my work and the opportunity came after writing a list of goals I had as an artist during the last week of the Human Resources job I mentioned. It would turn out that this was the moment that I would decide I would pursue my passion career of being an artist. During my worst work week I could ever have in being accused of not completing all the tasks assigned to me though I daily took on tasks to alleviate my direct report. Frankly it was whence I saw the disparity of our pay and how much I took on that I realized I had something far greater to achieve than be there; my passion took the front seat. I became passionate and bullish, from social media, to group exhibitions.
I heard in the beginning of “Basquiat” starring Jeffrey Wright, “One’s image as an artist must be ABSOLUTE” and I’d pursue this absolution to no end, accomplishing task after task on that list I made in my office at the time. I took a less traditional approach initially to gain recognition by Gallery since I didn’t have representation or experience in those spaces.
I took to seeking the decision makers of spaces I came across and I developed a good nose for them honestly. I’d often walk by or see exhibits in passing of something other and I’d just fall into the conversations I needed to have, showing them what I was working on and getting their referrals and critiques showing them my work on my phone in conversation as I intentionally made it known in my ambiance and approach that I wouldn’t be denied, “I’m from around the way I’m leaving with something”– Denzel Washington, especially from spaces I spoke to that face genuine rapport.
I was set and sure to make “it” happen for me one way or another, and I’m forever grateful for all of those individuals instrumental in decisions that have contributed to my successes, God and my family especially have been great in watching both in awe and amazement as to what I’ve been able to accomplish and will continue to accomplish.
What was your approach/ response to obtain a chance to display your artwork within the group show ” Raw Artist”. Savior Showcase”.
Actually how that happened was that a representative in there Exhibition department came across my work on the web looking for Chicago artists that she’d like to exhibit for their Savor Group Exhibition and graciously extended the invite after an expressed excitement about the work that she anticipated me exhibiting, and the experience was amazing as so many of today’s premier artists of many mediums were discovered out of that exhibition.
You seem to be institutionally focused within your progression in art. if so what are your thoughts on Art institutions & is there any institution you aspire to have your art displayed; or apart of their permanent collection?
I’m glad you mentioned that, I am certainly intentionally set on making sure my work is exhibited and collected by institutions of art because I feel as though my execution of work can be appreciated historically for the compositional and philosophical narratives within the work that I have put forth and will continue to. My work bridges generational gaps with my “tool belt” you can say of expressions at my fingertips I feel as though larger institutions suit my intention behind my work in sharing my real-surrealist narrative I spread through my work.
I love that my work is for right now mostly privately collected though, as some of my collectors are open to sharing the most coveted of my works that they’ve acquired with institutions if they’d like to exhibit them, that’s definitely in the plan if when the opportunity presents itself. There are a few institutions on the top of my list for certain and that’s the Art Institute of Chicago, The Guggenheim Museum, Museum of Modern Art in New York, Brooklyn Museum, The Studio Museum in Harlem, The New Museum in New York, The Met Museum, Museum of Contemporary Art, and the Cincinnati Art Museum. These are institutions that my work will see one day sooner than later. One of which has been exhibited at on the listed but I want my own spot in their permanent collection and that’s the Cincinnati Art Museum whom I had the honor of exhibiting at this year by way of a group exhibition. After seeing my work in that space it only inspired my aspiration to do more but bigger, better if you will exhibits and pieces in more similar spaces.
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