"SOURCES 2020"

"SOURCES 2020" Artist Statement: "This recent body of work was developed from a number of sources. Inexpensive memory cards and dslr cameras permit me to take a lot of reference photos. These are snapshots of subjects I find visually engaging. An ever-growing list of archived image collections are placed in the public domain. Using this image repository, I next turn to sketching, eventually settling on a suitable composition with references to art history, contemporary topics, and identity. African fabric designs, Indian block stamps, historic European sculptures, African American portraits, art history, are some representations visible. For myself these coalesce around a concept of identity. My intention is the audience picks up on how identity is truly hard to define as something specific, one thing. Several years ago, while participating in a study abroad experience in East Africa our group stopped to watch the sunset over the Indian Ocean. Definitely one of those moments described in a Lonely Planet guidebook, but nevertheless sitting on the balcony of a tourist restaurant watching the fishing boats depart, local families passing by, and overhearing a number of conversations in a variety of languages is special. What caught my eye however was the activity on shore. Kids playing soccer, families out for a walk, athletes going through a workout routine, and a group of three young men in conversation. Their poses immediately reminded me of the famous “Luncheon on the Grass” painting by Manet. An African American visiting historic East Africa and a nineteenth century European artist pops into my head! On another occasion while looking at the Uffizi museum collection online, I noticed the famous marble sculpture “Wrestlers.” The image triggered thoughts of how this 1st century representation is a metaphor for present day race relations. Thus, in my versions sometimes the white wrestler is on top, in other versions the black wrestler is dominates, but overall no one is winning." - Leamon Green, October 2020