'Got Somethin' For Ya & Other Drawings

1. 'Got Somethin' For Ya                   

2. Boy In The Attic                          

3. Good Eatin' No. 2                      

4. I Cover The Waterfront                 

5. Lovers                                                                

 

1. 'Got Somethin' For Ya, was a fun piece to create. It was inspired by a man, I noticed, who attended one of the same high schools as myself. I sat in a car, outside of the mall, waiting for my mom in the parking lot. And I saw him walking to his car. I also noticed how he had some nice, thick legs, with ankle socks on, along with flip-flops. He was cute, and seemed to have a bubbly personality. I never interacted with him in school, but it was a reminder of the guys, I saw in the shopping malls, who mingled together in cliques, just like in high school. This piece is also about the homoerotic undertones that sometimes appear, when some men grab themselves in the presence of other men.

2. Boy In The Attic, is about the importance of self esteem among black children. It is crucial, how they see themselves, in the world, and in society. The focus is specifically on black boys. When I was a little boy, and even as a teenager, it was not known to me that there were so many blacks who came before me, doing incredible things, that I would later take a serious interest in. I did not know, what I struggled with, was not uncommon for black boys and young black men. The experiences I had, within, was something that other blacks encountered also. The boy in this piece sees himself as a king. He uses whatever he could find in the attic, of his home to express his imagination. He can dream and realize, that anything is possible for him, regardless of his differences.

3. Good Eatin' No. 2, definitely turned out to be my kind of drawing, technically. The ink washes blended beautifully, creating the richly shaded depth, I usually hope for in my ink wash applications. The proportions and position of the figures, also utilizes the space very accurately and effectively. This is one of my favorite pieces. The African sculpture adds to the natural atmosphere, and masculine, erotic spirit, projected by these two nude male figures. My fetish revealed itself dramatically, with the size increase of the hands and feet of the man in the chair. I was really satisfied with this work, and consider it a great accomplishment creatively.

4. I Cover The Waterfront, is a piece, that began on my lunch break. I was sitting, and saw a photo in a magazine, that really caught my interest. It reflected an era, that I was exploring then, with the flat caps, worn by many black men, in the early twentieth century. Although the photo, was a contemporary ad for fashion, It reminded me of the fiction, I was reading during this time, in which this drawing was produced. There was art and literature from the Harlem Renaissance, being observed and read by me. The model seemed to be out of a Langston Hughes story, who is my favorite writer. The title of this drawing, " I Cover The Waterfront ", was inspired by a rendition of a song, with the same name, performed by my favorite singer, Sarah Vaughan. I love a live version, she did, back in 1947, that is very moving to me.

5. Lovers, turned out better than I expected during this period. I like the bottom, in this one, and the way he grabs his partner's feet. The position was drawn effectively. This is why it exceeded my expectations as a drawing. I placed the photo of them on the dresser to suggest, that they are indeed a couple. I did this in several drawings, during this period to explain the men's love interest or something else they were fond of.