LOST BOY
ABOUT THE ART
THE ORIGIN OF THE TITLE “LOST BOY” IS LINKED TO A VARIETY OF INTERESTING AND INTERCONNECTED THEMES AND TOPICS. THROUGH RESEARCH, REFLECTION AND MEDITATION I WAS ABLE TO BETTER UNDERSTAND THE THEMES I CHOOSE TO ADDRESS WITHIN MY ARTWORK. EACH LOST BOY IS ANCESTRAL, CONTEMPORARY AND POST-CONTEMPORARY. THESE MASK-LIKE FIGURES ARE A BLEND OF THE TRAITS AND CHARACTERISTICS FOUND IN AFRICAN ART, AND THE FACES OF CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AMERICANS, DESCENDANTS OF THESE PEOPLE.
LIKE MASKS FOUND IN CULTURES AROUND THE GLOBE, THESE MASKS ARE A BRIDGE TO MY ANCESTORS. THEY REVEAL THE FACES OF THE DESCENDANTS OF BOYS STOLEN FROM THEIR HOMES, FORCED TO ENDURE LABOR AND ALL THAT FOLLOWED TO BRING US TO THIS PRESENT MOMENT. I SEEK TO REPRESENT THIS LINEAGE THROUGH THE FACES OF THE CONTEMPORARY AFRICAN AMERICANS DEPICTED IN MY WORK.
SIMILAR TO PICASSO’S VIEWS, AFTER SEEING THE AFRICAN MASK FOR HIMSELF, THESE LOST BOY WORKS ARE A VISUAL MANIFESTATION OF ANCESTRAL TERRORS, AS WELL AS FUTURE DESIRES FOR JUSTICE IN THE PRESENT AND FUTURE.
