Saturday, December 27, 2008

George Hunt


Memphis artist George Hunt was born in rural Louisiana, near Lake Charles, and his grandmother noted early in life that he had a special power to “see things.” In addition to large doses of indigenous music, one of the things he saw was the civil rights movement and that experience became a painting in 1997, which in turn, became a US Postage Stamp issued in 2005 as part of the United States Postal Service series, “To Form A More Perfect Nation.”


“America Cares/Little Rock Nine”

George Hunt was honored for his painting, “America Cares/Little Rock Nine” at ceremonies in Little Rock and Memphis. The paint was originally commissioned for the Central High School Museum, but first spent five years hanging in the White House in Washington, D.C. First Lady, Hillary Clinton, in a personal note to Mr. Hunt, wrote, “we are grateful that our visitors and staff have such a powerful image of hope and freedom to greet, inspire and inform them.”

Artist Website

Artist Gallery



"I Am A Man II"

Hand-Pulled Serigraph

Image Size: 24 x 50


In 1968, in Memphis, Tennessee, the labor movement and the civil rights movement came together in a monumental struggle for human and public employee rights. On February 11, over 1,300 sanitation workers – nearly all were African American – went on strike demanding their basic rights to organize a union, to gain a living wage and to receive the respect and dignity due all working men and women. During the strike Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. came to Memphis to support the workers but was tragically assassinated.

The above paragraph was taken from the Wayne State University website

"I Am A Man - III"

27" x 43"




A SERIGRAPH PORTFOLIO SERIES

BY GEORGE HUNT

CONTENT OF CHARACTER










"The Passage

represents a starting point for the shaping of the character of African American culture. In many African cultures, masks have been used to tell stories of historical events, adornment for warriors, and parts of costumes for various festivals. Mr. Hunt's "the Passage" embodies three masks representing the spirits of our ancestors who died during the Trans-Atlantic journey from Africa to America (The Middle (Passage). Conceptually, "The Passage" focuses on the idea that even though these ancestors did not make it to America physically, the content of their character, (hard work, love, respect, honor, and strength) survived the journey as it was passed on to their descendents born in America and other countries along the way from Africa.



"Leadership"

Leadership is a position of guidance. A leader should be honorable, trustworthy, longsuffering, service oriented and wise. Motivated by a passion and commitment to a vision, a leader inspires others to rise up, run with, stand tall, sit in, and even die for the vision of a people which emerges into a reality.

During the Civil Rights era, the Pullman Porters, the Clergy and other grass roots leaders having these traits were at the forefront of the struggle. In Mr. Hunt's, "Leadership", the Porter carries a sign with a dual message; painted right side up is the familiar slogan "We Shall Overcome"; at the bottom of the sign, there is a narrative from an African describing the pain and anguish of being confined to the cramped quarters of a slave ship. The bottom portion can only be read by placing oneself in an uncomfortable position.

The dual messages on the Porter's sign speaks loudly of the hope of a people still over coming, and the hardships suffered historically to have such a dream. One viewing does not yield the full concept of this masterful work. Each subsequent look sheds further insight into the concept of Leadership.



Legacy

Leadership is defined as that which is handed down from an ancestor or predecessor. In the African American culture, quilt making itself personifies patience, love, and concern for the comfort and care of others.

In Mr. Hunt's "Legacy", on the surface we view a grandmother passing on her quilt-making skills to her grand-daughter. However, a deeper look reveals the loving elder passing down a legacy of wisdom as she interweaves traits of the true essence of character into the heart and mind of her grand-daughter, just as Mr. Hunt has skillfully collaged the quilt representing good character onto the original painting.

An important common thread, The Word of God, links these works of art together. The cross found in "The Passage", and "Leadership", and the small blue church house in the background of the "Legacy" represent the effect God's Word had on the character of people in the struggle. Mr. Hunt has said on many occasions, "The content of good character is derived from God's perfect will."


Gerald Ivey

Artist Website

Artist Bio

Gerald is a native of Florida. At an early age, he exhibited exceptional artistic abilities. Throughout elementary school and high school, his teachers and schoolmates relied upon him to create bulletin boards, banners, and logos. Their approval and appreciation of his artistic acumen encouraged him to spend hundreds of hours practicing various art forms and techniques.

Later, after trying out many different mediums and art forms, Gerald decided to study at the Atlanta College of Art and Design in Atlanta, GA. Since, he has spent years perfecting multiple artistic strategies. His style is his own and incredibly colorful and unique. Ivey has been selling his work for over 15 years and is widely collected all over the world!

Ivey is an artist who is never satisfied with his creativity. He continues to surpass his skill as a master of his trade and incorporates various levels of texture, intense color, and mixed media to his canvases. He is an illustrator, painter, sculptor,designer, and artist unlike any you have witnessed. It is not uncommon to find his work on other mediums other than canvas, such as: clothing, wood, metal, paper, or even furniture!





Serenity

300 Gram Paper
30 x 40


Color Me Beautiful

300 Gram Paper
30 x 40

The Preacher

300 Gram Paper
30 x 40

Family Affair

300 Gram Paper
30 x 40



Five Rap, Hip Hop, Urban Artists

About Frank MorrisonBorn in Massachusetts then brought by his family to live in New Jersey at an early age, Frank Morrison was reared and spent his formative years there, an affable, precocious and inquisitive youngster whose curiosity about everything around him seemed limitless. Then, as an energetic pre-teen, he was interested and enthused by the youthful fads, interests and activities which marked his world: the neighborhood D.J's with their followers and fans at neighborhood parties, the colorful ‘tags’ of local characters which were splashed across fences, parks and buildings, and the loose-jointed "B" boys and break-dancers who enlivened week-end party scenes. In this setting his world was suddenly rife with possibilities and he became convinced that he, too, could DO this! http://morrisongraphics.com/catalog/about.php

"Beat Street" - Frank Morrison
"Beat Street"
Frank Morrison
30" x 20"



Kolongi




emigrated from Barbados with a single purpose to establish himself as an international artist, with the chief focus on original artwork and prints. Kolongi's art work emphasizes the compelling heritage and culture of the African American experience. Kolongi’s interest in art started at an early age. At eight years of age he was awarded first prize in a county wide Barbadian competition. Self taught without the benefit of traditional teachers, he has forged his own style for which he continues to receive international recognition. http://www.itsablackthang.com/Kolongi-art-work.html
"Hip Hop Culture" - Kolongi



"Hip Hop Evolution" - Kolongi


Johnny Myers


Producing positive and motivating images is Johnny Myers way of praising God for the talents He gave him. A quiet spoken nature and deep religious convictions are poetically expressed through Myers art.

Myers demonstrated uncanny abilities at an early age, which were recognized in numerous state and national scholastic awards, resulting in his graduation with honors from the Ringling School of Art and Design. Myer's credits include many commissions by universities, as well as corporate collections. His work has been on exhibit in galleries from New York to Los Angeles.



Johnny Myers

"Hip Hop, A Piece Of History" - Johnny Myers
"Hip Hop, A Piece Of History"
Johnny Myers

22" x 25"
loading
Hang On & Have Faith
h:36 inch x w: 22 inch
Johnny Myers






Jerome Brown

"More Than A Woman (Aaliyah)" - Jerome Brown

Rhythm, Color, Culture, Energy; These Four words describe the experience viewing the creations of world renowned Artist David Garibaldi.

Born in Los Angeles in 1982, Garibaldi began creating at a young age. After relocating and growing up in Sacramento, it was not until high school, after walking away from a life of graffiti in the streets, that he turned his influences of hip hop culture into a positive direction. Unfortunately by then, it was too late to make up lost time in school, and he could not graduate. A season of hard times to come could not shake the drive of this young artist from pursuing his dreams.

STUDIO:

In 2003, David Garibaldi began to turn his illustrations on paper into paintings on canvas. Garibaldi would paint live at urban jazz sessions, nightclubs, and hip hop events for direct influence by the music, and he began to create a buzz about his work along the way.

STUDIO to the STAGE:

In 2003 Garibaldi was at a friends home and across the room hung an original Jimi Hendrix painting by performance artist Denny Dent. The painting was wildly splashed together with paint like most of Dents works. Without seeing a single video or photos of Denny Dent in action, even years after, David was inspired to create.

Dent was the first and only “Rock and Roll Painter”. Dent unarguably engaged his audiences while he created. Commanding hundreds to hundreds of thousands with his “Two Fisted Art Attack”. There will never be anyone like Dent, but other artist’s have been inspired in some way and are taking the art form to new generations, multimedia platforms, and more. Some notable artists include Brian Olsen, Michael Israel, Jean Francoise Detaille, Michael Ostaski, and Dan Dunn.

As Garibaldi has developed his performance pop art show over the years, he credits Denny Dent for not only inspiring himself, but generations before and after.

It was the defining moment of Garibaldi’s background in graffiti, hip hop dancing, playing music, painting live, and then seeing the work of Denny Dent that lead David to create a live stage show he describes and calls “Rhythm and Hue”




Movin' Strings" - David Garibaldi
Movin' Strings"
David Garibaldi

20x25

G527
Afternoon Sounds
image 30" × 17" (76 × 43cm)



David Garibaldi- Kanye West







G520
Afternoon Urban Stroll
image 20" × 16" (50½ × 40½cm)
David Garibaldi








All Eyes On Me - Gerald Ivey


Danny Broadway












Danny Broadway loved art at a very young age while drawing horses with his sister, Shuanta. He later decided to take his craft seriously during high school where he received grooming and constant motivation from a dedicated instructor. Now a young adult, Danny has earned a degree in Fine Arts from The University of Memphis where his paintings were chosen two years in a row for the Black History Month posters.

He also taught art to junior high through high school students in the Memphis City School System and at the Memphis College of Art. Danny's goal is to provide youths with the same hope he found in disciplined creativity. Always in motion, like his paintings, Broadway seeks constantly to develop his skill by exposure to new things. He's traveled to Africa & Europe. www.dannybroadway.com/about.htm



Originals


"Changing Winds"


"Still Water"



"Reflect"




"Parasol Parade"


Commissions



"Freedom & Peace Celebration"
Benefiting the
National Civil Rights Museum
Memphis, TN
2007



"My Brother's Keeper"
National Civil Rights Freedom Awards
2006







"Reaching"
The Women's Foundation
2007



"East vs West"
Major League Baseball's
Civil Rights Game
2007


"Mamma's Linens"
National Civil Rights Freedom Awards
Oprah Winfrey
2005


Monday, December 22, 2008

Cbabi Bayoc

Artist's PortfolioCbabi Bayoc art work is created at the Bayoc Studio which is comprised of two individuals Cbabi (pronounced KUH-BOBBY) and Reine (pronounced RAIN) Bayoc. Cbabi is the visual element of this productive union, whose style has a movement and presence expressive of someone born to be creative. His technique has been labeled "caricaturist", because he plays off faces, putting strong emphasis on lips, noses, eyes, and all other body parts. Cbabi became a full time artist in 1995, after graduating from Grambling State University. Cbabi's name, which is an acronym for Creative Black Artist Battling Ignorance and Blessed African Youth of Creativity, allows others to realize his mission and blessing in life. Through his artwork, he is able to show the beauty in black faces and black life to all faces and all walks of life. Because of his respect for his craft, Cbabi allows his style to change as “it” desires. Because of this, he asks that you memorize his signature, instead of stitching him onto a particular look and genre. heritagesart.com



Butterflies - Bayoc
Butterflies



Leroy Campbell

Artist's PortfolioFor over two decades, Charleston, South Carolinian, self-taught, mixed-media visual artist, Leroy Campbell has painstakingly captured the essence and emotion of god-fearing, self-reliant, proud, and intelligent subjects of his Gullah childhood through acrylic mix-media collage-on-canvas artworks that display a deliberate choice of vintage quilted fabrics, news print clippings, burlap, threads, and elements of southern terrain. Many call his work ‘old spirit art’ because each piece reflects community and memories of those that made a difference in his life. Fellowship and a strong community rank high in Campbell’s life priorities and he finds that powerful. In 1983 Campbell accidentally embarked upon a career as a visual artist. Campbell while in New York, visited The Studio Museum of Harlem exhibition of esteemed Charlotte, NC born African-American artist Romare Bearden whose works involved collage technique and consistently depicted African-American culture. It was then that Campbell began to reflect and appreciate his home even more. Campbell’s vision to tell his story was instilled and his first series, “The Neckbone Series” was born. His most recent series, “The Gullah Collection”, features news print as its most dominant feature. His use of newspaper signifies more than one denotation. On one hand, it represents the Gullah rituals of witchcraft to who by papering the walls of their houses with news print protected them against and rid of curses and dangerous spirits. Yet simultaneously the newspaper serves a time capsule, since upon a closer glance, the news clippings are excerpts from "The Black Chronicle" newspaper as compiled by the late documentarian Henry Hampton. Exemplified in pieces ‘Bear Paw’, ‘Endurance’, ‘Quiet Strength’, and ‘Piece of Mind’, “The Gullah Collection” triumphantly details the palpable, unwavering strength and perseverance of people of African ancestry during the late 1800's through mid 1960's. - Heritages Fine Art Gallery


Ain't That The Pot Calling The Kettle Black - Leroy Campbell

Ain't That The Pot Calling The Kettle Black