Tuesday, August 3, 2010

Artist of the week: John Biggers


John Biggers is one of my favorite artists and a huge inspiration for me. I remember as a kid my mother taking me to A Nubian Notion in Dudley Square. I recall looking through the large stack of framed prints and seeing his "Shotgun House" painting amongst his other works and the works of other amazing Afro-American Artists. What I love most about his paintings was his incorporation of African and Afro-American influenced patterns into his work along with a figurative style clearly influenced by African sculptural forms. In his monumental works he explored the merits of Black culture and history from antiquity to the modern day. His work is an inspiration and as an artist I hope My work will move people as much a his work has moved me.

Traditions Remixed went to Fourth Wall Project





I had the pleasure of attending the private reception at the Fourth Wall for the All City. The show featured the works of John Brewer, Thomas Burns, Rob Gibbs, and Ricardo Gomez. For some of the artists I have seen their work before in various venues, however it was more then a pleasure to see it up close and personal. The work in the show had personalities of their own, however they lent themselves to one another. John Brewer has an amazing way of capturing time and the essence of his subject, where as Rob Gibbs (ProBlak) uses his understanding of relatistic painting to portray his figures. Gomez always continues to amaze me with his choice of materials and excision. This was the first time seeing Burns' work, he manages to fuse raw excision with realistic interpretation.