I think that one of the questions that I asked of myself in later years was to this point of the political directive. Kehinde Wiley More Quotes by Kehinde Wiley More Quotes From Kehinde Wiley There is something to be said about laying bare the vocabulary of the aristocratic measure, right? There's something to be said about allowing the powerless to tell their own story. Kehinde Wiley vocabulary stories said On the contrary, my desire is that the viewer sees the background coming forward in the lower portion of the canvas, fighting for space, demanding presence. Kehinde Wiley fighting space desire What's great about it is that painting doesn't move. And so in the 21st century, when we're used to clicking and browsing and having constant choice, painting simply sits there silently and begs you to notice the smallest of detail. Kehinde Wiley details choices moving There were certain expectations that were assumed of me as a young black American 20th-century - then 20th-century artist. Kehinde Wiley black artist expectations I have a really strong suspicion of the romantic nature of portraiture, the idea that you're telling some essential truth about the interior lives of your subject. Kehinde Wiley essentials strong ideas I have been painting models with black and brown skin only for the past years. So, I did already have this experience, this is how I have come to the paintings I do now. Kehinde Wiley black past years Let's talk about the artist's desire to go beyond the pictorial or the representational and the desire to create the abstract - the idea that painting can go beyond what is seen. What we found is that, increasingly, painting became about paint, its own material truth. When I'm talking about the way that we look at others and the way that we see ourselves increasingly, looking at others becomes its own material truth. Kehinde Wiley artist talking ideas My assistants generally do all the flowers and all of the decorative work. I concentrate on the figure. Kehinde Wiley assistants figures flower I think what we should concentrate on is what it feels like to be a working artist in the day to day. One doesn't imagine what comes down the line. Kehinde Wiley lines artist thinking How does the artist function as poet-slash-witness-slash-trickster? Kehinde Wiley poet artist doe I was trying. I was crawling. I was coming into myself. I was trying to in some ways get beyond - what is the word that I'm looking for? - metaphorical language in painting, and to create something that was more indexical. And what I mean by that is that when you go to the library there's an index card that refers to a book that's actual and real in the world. So that index relates to something real. Kehinde Wiley real mean book Joseph Gotto, yeah. Just all-around one of the more inspiring artists - not because of any sort of specific content direction, but rather the respect that I had for his own work and the ability for him to translate his ideas into useful form for me as a student. Kehinde Wiley artist students ideas One of my most strong memories was studying with Mel Bochner, one of the, I think, high water marks of American conceptual art. Kehinde Wiley strong memories art I believe the artist is capable of contributing to the broader evolution of culture in all of its dimensions. Kehinde Wiley artist believe culture He's a great - he's a great professor. He retired recently, but.But Peter Halley as well. Kehinde Wiley peter professors wells I grew up in South Central Los Angeles, where people are in cars. Kehinde Wiley los-angeles car people I think the world that I grew up in was like being in this sort of magical artistic garden. Kehinde Wiley garden world thinking As a twin, I operate with twin desires. Kehinde Wiley twins desire [My parents] met in university back in the '70s. And I didn't grow up with my father. He - they separated before I was born. Kehinde Wiley growing-up parent father You have to bring books to explain your work. Kehinde Wiley book
