Iona Rozeal Brown states in her "Black on Both Sides" interview, "Lots of rhymes, boasts, and bragging about clothing, jewelry, cars, and such, but that is not the only subject matter of hip-hop" (832). Brown states in words, what is trying to be portrayed in Fahamu Pecou's painting "Blak is the nu blak". Pecou is an artist that shows how society can continually be caught in the ongoing process of materialism and race. Beginning with photo shoots of himself, Pecou then paints the reoccuring scene. The scene is a critique on society and how much people are affected by it. Brown states over and over again, how society needs to see more than the emphasis of stereotypes society places on culture of blacks, that there is more than money, music, and fame.Pecou, an artist like Brown, finds humor on a serious topic that is prevalant in today's society. In "Blak is the nu Blak", Pecou portrays himself as a rich, young black male dressed nicely in a suit with a fancy car. Ironically, the title of the painting is addressing the racial issue that is portrayed by society. As Adrian Piper states in "Cornered", "...if someone can look and sound like me and still be black, then no one is safely, unquestionably white" (184). Piper addresses the issue of the majority of people in America are black. If this statement is correct, then why is white not seen as the minority and the stereotype of black cultural not seen as a positive view?
Kocur, Zoya, and Simon Leung. Theory in Contemporary Art since 1985. Malden,
Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2005. 184. Print.
Williams, Lyneise. "Black on Both Sides: A Conversation with iona roseal brown." Project Muse (2006): 832. Web. 3 Feb 2010.
I had the privilege of hearing Fahamu Pecuo speak last year when he visited campus. His introduction was phenomenal. I felt like Jay-z or Snoop Dog was about to walk into Gorgas. His work explores the African American culture through a hip hop setting. He is always the star of his paintings. His work deals with various settings and self portraits. Catie's blog connected Adrian Piper's theories and works with Pecou's paintings. She said "Pecou, an artist like Brown, finds humor on a serious topic that is prevalant in today's society." Pecou brings to light the issue of racial stereotypes. His method of approaching the issue is unique, which if why I believe his work is famous and appealing to a wide range of audiences. His work is inspiring conversations about the issues being presented.
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