Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Is that a paintbrush in your pocket or...


My latest artist infatuation is with the painter Kehinde Wiley. I've been following his work for some time now, and have always found it appealing, but his recent gallery exhibition with Deitch Projects is absolutely astounding. He finds his models on the streets of Brooklyn, and paints them in juxtaposition with classic imagery to create visually and intellectually arresting pieces. Never has a painter set my heart so aflutter with anything that even hints at realism...But everyone has an experimental phase right?

So you got a pretty big canvas there, want some help stretching it?

4 comments:

Unknown said...

a combination of applique art and Maxfield Parrish colours. the staying power of . . .

the likelihood of influencing art expression going forward: 0 out of 10.

does anyone more than look at them as they walk by? are there 16 year old art students studying them for hours?

Zamdrovsky said...

Hip-hop Peter Max

But seriously, I think this stuff is really fun.

HayK47 said...

Maxfield Parish? Really? I don't know man, what with the french rococo flourishes, bright colors exhibiting and inspired by today's street wear, and obvious similarities between well known master paintings of saints, fallen soldiers, and christ (look at: http://bp3.blogger.com/_3MWI6ELXNLE/RcWvR20JQQI/AAAAAAAAAls/FXCRgbe2O-o/s1600-h/3.+The+Lamentation+over+the+Dead+Christ+c.+1490.jpg and then look at http://www.deitch.com/files/slideshows/down_install_6.jpg) ...I'd say this guy has made a pretty interesting niche for himself.

also- if a person is too concerned with making progressive art that "stays" they're never going to find their voice/ make anything worthwhile. For a young artist, Mr. Wiley is nothing to scoff at.

Unknown said...

you're not even a little uncomfortable about the artist apeing classic forms? this use of iconic pose-forms does not seem to me as homage, it seems exploitive of the originals - seeking a meaning from classic work that the present work itself is devoid of. yes it's fun, like salted, buttered popcorn is fun to eat. Neither do I contemplate my popcorn.