by Joseph Mays III
“Black Is…” is the title of the current exhibition on display at the Dedo Maranville Fine Arts Gallery at Valdosta State University. The exhibition features work by Samuel Dunson and Traci Mims, two artists who, through their work, explore a variety of themes related to Black identity. These themes range from racism, to sexism, to culture in general.
One work that immediately stood out was one of Samuel Dunson’s paintings, titled Bombastic. The piece shows a man viewed from the torso up dressed in a red track suit. He’s holding a microphone and it appears as though he is reading lyrics from a cell phone. The background is colorful and reminiscent of graffiti walls with the words The Wages of Sin is DEF plastered on the right side. A walkway with trees on either side can also be slightly seen in the bottom half of the background. The feel of the piece is reminiscent of 1980s hip hop, where the four elements are said to be breakdancing, DJing, “MCing” or rapping, and graffiti. The latter two are clearly depicted in this picture. The apparel could allude to breakdancing seeing as though Adidas tracksuits and large framed glasses were common for the so-called “B-boys” to wear. Other visual elements seen in the painting that relate to the 1980s include a cassette tape halfway inserted into the man’s forehead, a big gold chain around his neck, and even two red and blue teardrops that could recall gangs at the time.
Bombastic is part of a series called Scorched Earth. Samuel Dunson says that his idea behind the series was to envision what a new world would look like post-destruction. He describes this destruction as a result of fighting fire with fire, burning away the old world and all its violence and injustices. This directly ties into the theme of the Black identity, shedding light on the injustices faced by people of color. In relation to other works in the series, such as MK Ultra where the scene appears very apocalyptic, this piece appears to be more subtle. However, the action shown is a man rapping, and while we cannot hear any lyrics one can infer that he is rapping about the struggles he faces. Using one’s personal struggles and mistreatment as subject matter in music is not uncommon within the hip-hop genre. The piece is also a play on words as the words seen relates to the overall theme of the series. However, the last word is changed from “death” to “def,” a word that is notable in the hip hop world (rap artist Mos Def and hip-hop record label So So Def). Because of this word change, Dunson can go with a throwback hip hop theme in general, especially since it ties back into the overall theme of Black identity.
Joseph Mays III is a Bachelor of Art Student at Valdosta State University. Joseph’s passion for art and design has grown over the years and he plans to pursue a career in streetwear design.