Thursday Things I'm Learning ...Let me Introduce you to a Black Artist I Follow (like a stalker)
His name is Titus Kaphar.
He is from the US and his work is absolutely upending.
And I wanted to tell you about him because his work is important. And it is beautiful. The language he uses are the paints, and tints, oils, canvases and materials that we take for granted. And the stories he tells, the stories he reveals, become more meaningful and important in the world we are trying to re-imagine day by day.
He was in Vancouver in 2017 and delivered a powerful TedTalk entitled, “Can art amend history?”. And his second talk came out last month, entitled “Can beauty open our hearts to difficult conversations?”
You need to watch them both.
TedTalk 2017 Titus Kaphar, “Can Art Amend History?” https://www.ted.com/talks/titus_kaphar_can_art_amend_history#t-1741
TedTalk 2020 Titus Kaphar, “Can Beauty Open up our Hearts to Difficult Conversations?” https://www.ted.com/talks/titus_kaphar_can_beauty_open_our_hearts_to_difficult_conversations?language=en#t-12903
Go to his website (https://kapharstudio.com) and follow his work on social media (#tituskaphar)
His cover on Time Magazine last month was heart-stopping.
Titus Kaphar 2020 Time Magazine Cover “Say their Names George Floyd Cover”
“This black mother understands the fire. Black mothers understand despair. I can change nothing in this world, but in paint, I can realize her. That brings me solace … not hope, but solace. She walks me through the flames of rage. My black mother rescues me yet again. I want to be sure that she is seen. I want to be certain that her story is told. And so this time, America must hear her voice.” https://time.com/5847487/george-floyd-time-cover-titus-kaphar/
Friends, look around. Look at icons and paintings and photos and art. Look at the small, intentional, revealing details. Look at the narrative unfolding. And look at re-focusing your lens to the edges of the page, the corner that catches your eye, to the scale, the colour, the story that is hidden beneath the surface.
