Posted on 04/23/2012 10:52:38 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
Urban street artist Norm Maxwell, whose pieces are prized by European collectors and sell for thousands of dollars, unveiled his latest work Saturday night at his studio gallery in L.A.’s Fairfax District.
Maxwell, a native of Philadelphia, began his career as a graffiti artist in 1979, and merged his street art with classical aesthetics at the Hussian School of Art.
He later went to become a renowned art director for artists like Missy Eliot and Madonna, and companies like Revlon.
The reception, attended by Maxwell’s family, friends and admirers, was for “Rising Soul,” featuring three surreal canvases entitled “By Dawn’s Early Light,” “The Massacre of Innocence” and “The Rockets Red Glare.”
“In the first one you can see a group of people on a life raft,” said Maxwell, who founded the gallery in 2007.
“Basically, they look like they are bailing water and rowing for their lives in a turbulent sea. I guess what you can sum up is that the ship sank and these people are trying to save their lives.”
He added: “I think you notice the captain …loosely Obama was my inspiration. It embodies my perception of the recession; asking the question where are we going as African-Americans?
“One character that stands out is the rap character in the back. He kinda represents the hip hop generation that has maybe lost its way with the misogyny and violence, and sagging pants…etc. [But] then there’s the young man in the corner; he’s kinda looking in the direction of the light. In essence, the dawn’s early light to me is a hopeful image; you know that the sun is rising, the seas are turbulent, but the passengers are still alive. The captain’s in control, they are still rowing, and they’re going to get to their destination.”
According to Maxwell, the second poignant and evocative painting was inspired by the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, and the final piece is his musing on how far American society has to go fulfill the founding father’s ideals of equality and justice for all.
“It’s a shame that such a young person had to become the victim to bring the light that so many things are still a big issue in America as far as race, justice and equality are concerned,” he said.
“The third piece is loosely inspired by the spirit of ‘76 that marked the end of the civil war. In the corner you have a kid playing taps on the bugle; basically, this marks the death of the old ways, the racism, separatism, all the things that divide us.
“[Meanwhile] the civil war soldier is caught in the battle, but he doesn’t have a gun; the reason being that in this battle we have to use our minds to overcome the obstacles that are before us. The fireworks are a celebration of that occasion.”
Yawn X 2
Where’s Zimmerman as the “Diablo” Hitler?
He later went to become a renowned art director for artists like Missy Eliot and Madonna, and companies like Revlon.
The reception, attended by Maxwell’s family, friends and admirers, was for “Rising Soul,” featuring three surreal canvases entitled “By Dawn’s Early Light,” “The Massacre of Innocence” and “The Rockets Red Glare.”
He added: “I think you notice the captain …loosely Obama was my inspiration.”
Well if the Eurotrash is excited by his work, he must be good.
Not so much. Looks like your typical left wing $#!t to me.
At least he didn’t portray him as a 13-year-old, at least from what I can tell.
Was Trayvon some sort of a Jesse James or Robin Hood to these people? It makes no sense!
April 21th??
Which war? Or did he mean 1876? Huh?
8^D
8^D
I was in China when their hotdog pilot Wang Wei (no kidding, really his name) rammed our EP-3 surveillance plane and crashed in the sea to his death.
On Chinese TV, they superimposed a head-shot of him hovering over the horizon of an ocean view and proclaimed him a Great Protector of the Chinese People.
The PRC has nothing on the sniveling liars and distortionists in the US media.
Which war? Or did he mean 1876? Huh?Oh c'mon, UncleHambone. In a discussion of history, you're not going to get hung up on dates, are you? /s
Write him his own Horst Wessel song.
It worked for th Nazi’s.
Well, I see the European lemmings are becoming art collectors.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.