CONTACT: Mistermroman@gmail.com

Ordinary Grace: Invisible to Whom?

My work portrays the ordinary grace of contemporary Black men by blending elements from hip-hop and urban culture with art history and religious iconography.  Concepts of beauty and divinity must also apply to Black men. In showcasing divine Black beauty, I provide contemporary images that are positive and spiritual to counter long held historical narratives that are applied to contemporary representations of Black masculinity.   Using the symbols and iconography of spiritual perfection that have reinforced concepts of white supremacy and hegemony for centuries, I empower my figures to embody and occupy similar positions of prestige, power, and purity. 

Rarely are Black men depicted as manifestations of divine beauty.  Even after, or perhaps as a result of various Black American freedom movements of the 1950’s through the 1980’s, images of Black men almost always embody political or social propaganda.  Conversely, my work de-politicizes the contemporary Black male, because I understand that the presence of contemporary Black imagery instinctively encourages politicization in the current climate.  Eliminating any socio-political signifiers forces the viewer to sit with their own implicit biases, as any conclusions drawn by the viewer are a result of the viewer’s own inherent beliefs.  The figures in my work do not allude to wealth or station in life, allowing body language and facial expressions to establish meaningful connection with the viewer.

Using drawing, installation, and digital mediums, my work connects similar concepts from different cultures across time, space, and race.  While no culture has right or claim to the range of emotions expressed, consumers historically and inherently apply value to the artistic expressions of one culture over another.  By combining expressions of similar sentiment from seemingly disparate, often conflicting cultures, I emphasize that respecting the differences in people requires recognizing the divinity inherent in those who appear different.