My work is based on my personal experience as an African American male living in the Midwest, and deals with the complexities and effects of racism, prejudices, stereotypes, and religious beliefs. The work gives an attractive and cheerful first impression. Further examination however, provides the viewer with disturbing imagery and dialogue. This method of discovery seems more effective than banging the viewer over the head with politically correct propaganda. I also include humor in many pieces with the hope that the viewer is drawn in rather than chastised.
The majority of anti-cultural images were made attractive to children. Dolls, greeting cards, puzzles, etc. have all carried images with strong demeaning racial overtones that plant the seeds for racism. The intent of my images however are to look at racism with new eyes. With this in mind, the artwork that I produce is made attractive. The mediums range from paintings and drawings to games and puzzles. My intention is to depict the cycle of racism as it is passed from an adult to a child.
Anti-black caricatures such as the Coon, Mammy, Picaninny, and Golliwog were used to assassinate the character of African Americans. The images of smiling docile children in my work are modern variations of these images. Other images that are represented in may work are flags, churches, crucifixes and picket fences. All these are represented as symbols of our contemporary American lifestyle that have been tainted by the wrong doings of Americas' past.
In my work African American children are rendered jet black with red shirts because there is a stereotype that all African Americans love red. The Asian American children are Yellow and depicted with dress shirts on and pocket protectors filled with pens because it is often assumed that Asian children are raised in an environment that shuns anything but strictness and education. Mexican American's are Orange and often shown cutting grass because of the stereotype that all Mexican Americans know how to do is gardening. The characters or kids in my paintings all wear smiling faces representing the "Uncle Tom" concept of the faithful, happily submissive minorities. The smiling faces in my work are also used as a way to generalize a race as it reflects the saying "they all look the same" which is used commonly by one racial group when referring to another.
The intent of my work is to get viewers to question our popular religious, social and cultural beliefs. The viewers are asked to make an effort and take all these images into account, not just the blissful ones.
