I ask artists who they are inspired by and more often than not the name Jean-Michel Basquiat is mentioned. Jean-Michel Basquiat was one of the very most prolific visual artists who left this earth too soon, but at least he, thankfully, left an imminent mark on the art world. When I studied theatre at Howard University and at Northwestern University, my professors often reminded us that the thing that was most required was the suspension of disbelief and open imagination. In order to do this, we were taught to do two things: 1) Keep a journal because you can refer to it to remember your feelings/emotions and 2) Play. Child play is the most imaginative form of theatre. Remember being a child and having a mind un-polluted with all that we now know? You had the most fun of your life when you transformed a bed sheet into a tent or when your closet became a elevator. As actors, in order to revert back to our fun childish ways, we played “theatre games.” These theatre games were created by a woman, affectionately known as the “American Grandmother of Improvisational Theatre.” The games aided in helping children, theatre students, and even comedians let go of their inhibitions and unlock their capacity for self-expression. Genius work comes from those who know how to let go and let their thoughts run free. A new film that recently won a Grand Jury award at the Sundance film festival allows you to see a true genius a work, Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child (see trailer below). Actors have Viola Spolin. Artists have Jean-Michel Basquiat. Who inspires you to let your imagination run wild?
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Jean-Michel Basquiat: The Radiant Child
March 13th, 2010Audacious: the lost fotography & films of funk diva betty davis: a tribute
February 1st, 2010
Numa Perrier is an artist, filmmaker, and entrepreneur working in Los Angeles. Her work deals largely with the female spirit and sensuality. She comes from a layered family mix of Haitian roots, Southern America, and a West Coast upbringing, which has developed a nuanced and textured approach to life and art. As a photographer, Numa has explored the experience of Ugandan sex slaves, bi-racial adoption, dolls as a microcosm for the state of women, and many more issues specific to her life. As a filmmaker her focus again explores the most intimate segments of womanhood dissecting mother/daughter relationships and abstractly defining La Petite Mort, the French term for the little death/orgasm.
Numa’s work on the AUDACIOUS! Betty Davis tribute comes at a time when she feels the wild woman is begging to be set free. She has imagined and created this “lost footage” as an honor to a woman who has personified the feral uninhibited nature that she would like all women to claim a piece of. Gallery Reception, Friday February 5, 2010 6-9-PM. Exhibit runs through March 28, 2010
Shantrelle P. Lewis is the former Executive Director for the George & Leah McKenna Museum of African American Art in New Orleans, LA. She is the co- founder of the Young Friends Society which she developed, while working as a volunteer at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, to address the need for a more active involvement in the arts amongst the 20-40 age demographic. Currently, Ms. Lewis is the Director of Programs and Exhibitions of the Franklin H. Williams Caribbean Cultural Center African Diaspora Institute in New York.
GOT DAM!
January 13th, 2010
Jessica Censotti Video
January 9th, 2010Amanda Williams Video
January 9th, 2010Chicago ARTchitecture
January 2nd, 2010
Chicago ARTchitecture celebrates the unique Chicago landscape as interpreted by four artists: Kathleen Eaton, DeMarcus Parham, Lauren Karrenberg and Kyle Wolff. This collection of artists bring forth a unique view of the city’s famed bungalow row houses, towering skyscrapers and ethereal suburbia fields.
For inquiries about the artwork featured in this show, please contact Maya-Camille Broussard at maya@threepeasartlounge.com or 312.624.9414
Amanda Williams: Chicago Works
November 30th, 2009
One of the twelve featured artists for Chicago Artists Month 2009 (sponsored by the City of Chicago’s Department of Cultural Affairs), Williams presented a prolific and engaging show entitled Chicago Works.
The title is a double entendre, meaning that Chicago is functional and operational, but it’s also a phrase coined during the Harold Washington administration. This show related to the Chicago Artists Month’s theme of “2.0” in which it refers to the “concepts of interactivity and connectivity associated with Web 2.0., and highlights the ways in which artists interact with their audiences…” Williams’ work has always been about connecting to other people through their stories and life experiences. While using social media networking sites, such as Facebook, she is currently working on a project that closely explores traditional color theory and the polychromie palette of famed Swiss architect, LeCorbusier. In using various social media networking sites, she is able to draw from her “friends” thoughts and status updates to add visual text to her work.
Check out our interview with Williams (music by escointernational.com):
To view her paintings and to purchase her artwork visit Three Peas Art Lounge’s art store or click on the orange button below
