Jameson Rowley
Contemporary Art
Mysoon Rizk
December 15, 2011
Research Paper Final Draft
Kehinde Wiley is best described as being a Contemporary History painter. In his paintings he depicts models that he may or may not know and associates the portrait with an event, person, or previous art work from the past with his titles or directly in the painting, although often times they are hidden. This rare style of painting Kehinde uses can be classified as Juxtaposed Inversion, and it’s what Kehinde regularly does in all of his works. His paintings have become popular and well respected around the globe over the last ten years, because of the detail and complexity in his portraits. The realism he uses is unlike no other of this time, and Museums from all over have recently began to take notice and catch on. They are now purchasing his work regularly to put on display in their respective locations. On occasion he is approached by celebrities who commission Kehinde to paint their portrait. Sticking to his style, he paints the celebrities image on canvas, although he references the images to another topic as well in the works. Kehinde’s portraiture is both elegant and intriguing, and because of its qualities viewers are often left in search for answers as to who this man is, and how is he able to paint in such a manner.
Artist Kehinde Wiley was born in Los Angeles, California in 1977. He grew up without a father, and spent his childhood, and adolescent years living in the rough neighborhoods of South Central L.A. within a predominantly African-American and Mexican community. His father is from Nigeria, and his mother was African-American. He was raised alone by his mother after his parents divorced while his mother was pregnant with Kehinde and his twin brother. His father moved back to Africa after the divorce and Kehinde was forced to grow up not knowing who he was. He is one of several siblings, but did not have the opportunity to live elegantly and extravagantly as a child. The family he came from was very poor, and his mother opened her own antique store when Kehinde was a child just so they could get by. For extra money when he was growing up he and other family members would gather old furniture that people were throwing away and refurbish it then try to resell it in his mother’s store. Kehinde recalls as a boy when he was growing up there was always really old furniture, dressers, or other antiques constantly sitting around his home.
Kehinde skills as an artist first began to blossom as a young boy. Drawing for Kehinde offered him an escape from reality and continued to draw artistically for security purposes as well as just because he excelled at it. He would often draw in his spare time for comfort and amazed himself by how well he did. His mother, who holds a master’s degree in African Linguistics, believed art was important for Kehinde to use and learn more about. She always encouraged Kehinde growing up with a non surprising attitude that if he worked hard enough one day he could grow up to become a successful artist. She also felt as though it was a great way for Kehinde express himself. In order to expose Kehinde and his twin brother to instruction from qualified teachers in the field of art, she signed them both up for art classes when they reached the age of nine which took place on a college campus in California. When he was eleven, his mother sent him to an art school where he began to learn basic art skills. At the age of twelve he studied in an art school in Russia. It was around this time when he began to become more exposed to masterful paintings during class field trips to museums. He was able to witness art up close and in person for the first time in his life and he it caused him to develop a deeper appreciation for art and art history as well. His twin brother did not follow trough with art training and one day dropped out. However, several years later, Wiley enrolled at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco for undergraduate school where he earned his bachelor’s degree in fine art (BFA) in 1999. After graduation, Kehinde quickly enrolled at Yale University, because he didn’t want to be one of those people who puts off going to graduate school then never returns for their degree. He was afraid of putting it off for a while then one year would turn into five and then before know it becoming someone’s short-order cook. After two years of hard work it finally paid off and Kehinde earned his master’s degree in fine arts (MFA) from Yale in 2001.
Kehinde’s artworks are normally painted near or larger than life size, and usually depict specific hip hop artists, or scenes depicting a certain theme from the hip hop genre. He often finds an average person off the street who he feels represents hip hop well and paints the portraits for specific exhibitions or just for an opportunity to turn around and sell it to interested buyers. The models he uses are allowed to choose their own poses and what they would like the painting to look like. Kehinde’s works can be found in museums all over the country, including the Toledo Museum of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts, the Denver Art Museum, the Columbus Museum of Art, the Brooklyn Museum, the Studio Museum is Harlem, The Metropolitan Museum in New York, the Kansas City Museum, the Virginia Museum of Fine Art, and UCLA’s Hammer Museum to name a few. He also includes rapper Russell Simmons, Denzel Washington, and Elton John as collectors of his art works.
Due to the fact that his father had not been involved in Kehinde’s life growing up a huge void had been left in his life that he was looking to fill. When he reached adulthood at the age of twenty he sent himself out on a journey to Africa to find his father. Since he lacked many crucial significant facts regarding his father, he was a difficult man to track down. He started his search in Nigeria, and after doing some searching found out he had moved to Lagos, (An Nigerian city in Africa.) Although he had a tough time of doing so he eventually found his father along with a long lost half sister whom he had not previously known existed who welcomed him with open arms. As it turned out his father had become a head architect at a University in Lagos. This may well explain where Kehinde inherited his ability to draw and paint pictures. He now continues a healthy relationship with his father and half sister to this day. He also attended his half sister’s wedding in Uyo in December of 2007.
Inside of the Toledo Museum of Art, (TMA) on the North Wall in Gallery Nine hangs one of Kehinde Wiley’s brilliant masterpieces which is entitled Saint Francis of Paola. The painting was created in 2003, and depicts a young, African-American male wearing a plain, solid teal shirt with white nylon on his head covered by a backwards teal baseball cap. He wears long blue jean shorts that stretch nearly down to his ankles that are faded near the bottom. He also has on all white Nike shoes with a solid red swoosh on it, a white wrist band on his right wrist, a watch with a gold band and a silver head on his left wrist, and a long, skinny gold necklace with a cross on it that hangs down to his torso.
Saint Francis of Paola was a man from Florence that lived in the fifteenth and sixteenth century. He was the son of two parents who each lived holy lives, and Saint Francis decided to live a similar style of holy life. As a young man out of his own desires Saint Francis chose to live a totally secluded life in a cave that was owned by his father. He came in contact with not one person that entire time and dedicated his time to prayer and mortification. He followed a strict Vegan diet and not only refrained from eating fish and meat, but also anything derived from animals such as eggs, cheese, milk, or butter, and also liked to sail. In his late thirties Saint Francis built his own church and monastery with the permission of Pyrrhus, the Archbishop of Cosenza. During King Louis XI’s last illness, he sent for Saint Francis and asked him if he make a visit to see him. Saint Francis denied the King’s request, and did not go until he was ordered by the Pope. He then stayed by King Louis XI’s side until his death. After the death of King Louis XI his successor Charles VIII kept Saint Francis close to court and consulted him often out of admiration. About a little over fifty years after Saint Francis had died a mob in France broke open his tomb and found that his body was incorrupt. Shortly after they found his body the mob burned it, although a few of his bones were recovered by Catholic faithful and given to different churches of his order as relics.
The young male in the painting is holding his right hand over his chest just above the cross on his necklace, and there are paintings of scattered Fleur de Lis symbols throughout the painting from top to bottom, occasionally in groups of three. The Fleur de Lis is a stylized lily that was often associated with French Royalty. In the French language Fleur means flower, and Lis means lily. Therefore, literal translation would be flower lily, or lily flower. The Fleur de Lis symbol is thought to have first appeared in 493A.D. when Frankish King Clovis I adopted it to represent him. The three leaves are believed to represent the three classes of society those who fought, those who worked, and those who prayed. The fact that the boy has his arm across his chest, and the scattered Fleur de Lis symbols around the painting are two things that possibly bring out the meaning behind Wiley’s painting Saint Francis of Paola in the TMA. Two suggestions for the meaning have come to my mind. First, maybe this boy is posing in prayer to Saint Francis of Paola, or maybe has a deep admiration for him and it’s possible that is what Wiley is trying to show. It’s possible that the fleur de lis’ have no symbolism other than maybe the boy wanted them in there. The Fleur de Lis is the symbol for the New Orleans Saints Professional Football team. It’s possible that he could be a New Orleans Saints fan, or his favorite player play is on their team, and that’s why the Fleur de Lis’ were included in this painting. Secondly, it’s possible that Kehinde knows the model on a deeper level, and is possibly referring to him as Saint Francis of Paola because they have similar personalities or practices in his opinion. The boy could be a hermit, or a vegan, or he could like to sail, and Kehinde could be trying to point that out.
Another portrait painted by Wiley which today hangs on a wall in the Detroit Institute of Arts is Officer of the Hussars, which is a painting that was created in 2007. This particular painting is a work that was done using oil and enamel on canvas, and is 9’ x 9’ in size. The overall size of the painting is only one of many features about Officer of the Hussars that makes it so uniquely fascinating and a well painted portrait. This is a very descriptive and detailed work, but it also has a hidden meaning or affiliation with another painting that was previously created a few hundred years ago that may go unnoticed to everyday viewers who pass it by at the DIA.
As is the case with many of Wiley’s works, Officer of the Hussars depicts a topic from history where a character (or characters) from any given theme are taken out and replaced by an African-American man or men who is shown in a scene that can often be associated with the title of the painting. Officers of the Hussars were Hungarian soldiers during the fourteenth century known for riding horses in battle, and are generally what we would refer to today as a Cavalry soldier. In Wiley’s Officer of the Hussars, an African-American man is shown riding a horse, wearing brown work boots, blue jeans, a white A shirt with a purple dress shirt over it which is only half on, and he is clutching onto a sword in his right hand. This depiction (not counting his cloths) is a very similar situation to that of an actual Officer of the Hussars from the Hungarian military would be involved in. He seems to generally depict factual people from the past in their traditional surroundings only to replace their pictures with that of an African-American male. The background is bright dark red at the top until about a little more than half way to the bottom there is a thick area of pink from side to side, and a smaller white area stretching across the canvas from side to side which could represent the horizon. There’s a military cannon off in the background on the right side of the painting near the horizon that you can see if you look closely. The ground is different shades of brown, and is what appears to be both rock and dirt. The horse that the sitter is riding on is what looks like both grey and white in certain areas. It has blonde hair in both the front and back of its body that is blowing in the wind as it runs. Kehinde surrounded the man riding a horse with a bright gold fence like structure that was made of stems, and thorns of a flower with flowers that have already bloomed located in certain areas.
The hidden meaning though actually goes deeper though than just the knowledge of what an Officer of the Hussar is. This painting is actually a juxtaposed inversion of an earlier work done by Theodore Gericault entitled The Charging Chasseur. Kehinde took the painting by Gericault, who he had admired and studied, then painted nearly the same image only using a different man on what looks like the same horse that is in Gericault’s painting with also a different setting. Gericault’s The Charging Chasseur was his first ever exhibited work, and it was exhibited at the Paris Salon in 1812. It was considered to be a contemporary painting around the time shortly after it was created because of its subject. This painting is now highly regarded, and it is considered to be a masterpiece of French Military Art. This technique of juxtaposed inversion is common practice in Kehinde’s art, and here is another example of that technique used in his work.
In 2005 Kehinde painted a portrait of Ice T. It’s a rather beautiful work and Ice T was depicted sitting in a chair. Kehinde stays true to form in this painting while painting a hip hop artist dressed in hip hop attire. Ice T is wearing a black, loosely fitting, cut off tank top with red trim around the shoulders, black loosely fitting pants, and black tennis shoes. There are two scepters in the painting, one in Ice T’s right hand, and another near his left hand which is resting against his body. He is sitting on a red and white expensive looking fabric that seems suitable for Royalty to wear. In the background on the left there appears to be a large bookshelf in the shadows, and a family crest is on the right also in the shadows of the background. There is a red, white, and brown carpet or rug at his feet and an image of an eagle is positioned on it in the center. In Kehinde’s opinion Ice T while this painting was being made was the fussiest person he has ever painted. Kehinde pointed out that Ice T’s ego and excess levels were shocking to him. Kehinde expressed that he invites the celebrities in and asked them to be whoever they wanted to be in the painting, and Ice T went straight for the portrait of Napoleon. Kehinde remembered him saying if anyone deserves to be Napoleon it is me. I’m the father of gangster rap. So he crowned himself.
This portrait painting which Ice T now owns, although creative, is actually Ice T juxtaposed in the place of Napoleon Bonaparte (who also crowned himself) in the 1806 painting Napoleon Enthroned by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres was another painter who Kehinde studied and admired while growing up and honing his art skills. Although he was classified as a Neoclassicism painter Ingres always thought of himself as a History Painter. During his lifetime he worked for the state as a court painter as did his teacher Jacque-Louis David. In the painting Napoleon Enthroned Napoleon is dressed in the same attire that Ice T is sitting on in his portrait and it is also the same costume that Napoleon wore at his coronation. He is enthroned in a circular back throne with armrests and Ivory Balls. The Scepter of Charlemagne, who was the most famous Frankish King and devout Christian, is in his right hand, and in his left is the Hand of Justice Scepter. On his head is the Golden Laurel-Wreath, and around his neck is a silk scarf. He also has on an ermine hood under the great collar of Legion d’Honneur with a gold-embroidered satin tunic and also an ermine-lined purple velvet cloak which is decorated with gold beads on it. His coronation sword is in its scabbard and is held in place by a silk scarf. Napoleon has on white shoes that were embroidered in gold, and the carpet under his throne displays an imperial eagle. Overall the man looks very comfortable. This painting is now kept in the Army Museum in Paris which is the same place that also keeps his remains. You may also find this work under another name entitled Napoleon on his Imperial Throne.
Kehinde says his style of painting was influenced by French Rococo Art, Islamic Architecture, and African Textile Design. To further clarify his work and what exactly juxtaposed inversion is here are definitions for both words. Juxtaposed means to place close together or side by side for comparing and contrasting, and inversion means to be put up side down or in an opposite position. Kehinde does not work alone on his paintings. He usually employs around three employees to assist him in creating each work. He says painting as a career for him is like having a regular job that any ordinary person would have. He comes into the studio during the morning hours and leaves in the evening hours. To create each painting he uses a three layered approach. The first layer is the under painting, the next layer is structural blending, and lastly he applies glaze. As for his favorite brush type to use in his paintings Kehinde prefers to use “Old Holland” brushes because of its potency of color.
In conclusion reading about what Ice T’s experience in the studio was like may make clear exactly what message Kehinde is trying to send to viewers with his works. The answer, he’s not really sending one at all. Kehinde only paints the pictures. The message or hidden meaning as it may be called weather it is in the title or in the background is picked by the sitter in every painting not by Kehinde himself. By being completely non objective in his work Kehinde allows the viewers to explore new possibilities with the meaning of his art, and he seems to always be a step ahead of those investigating his methods. It’s one of the many reasons why people believe Kehinde’s art will remain popular and will not be lost in history as time passes us by.
Bibliography
Houston, Joe. Kehinde Wiley: Columbus. Columbus, OH: Columbus Museum of Art, 2006. Print.
Jankauskas, Jennifer., Greg Tate., and Paul D. Miller aka DJ Spooky. Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage: China. New York: John Michael Kohler Arts Center, 2007. Print.
Jackson, Brian Keith., and Kimberly Cleveland. Kehinde Wiley: The World Stage: Brazil = O Estágio Do Mundo. Culver City, CA: Roberts & Tilton, 2009. Print.
Landi Ann. “In With the Old”.ARTnews (September 2011): 84-89.
Lewis Sarah. “De(i)fying the Masters.”Art in America, (April 2005): 120-125.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kehinde_Wiley
Collins Lauren, Lost and Found, http://www.newyorker.com/talk/2008/09/01/080901ta_talk_collins
Davis Brendan, Art Interview Online Magazine, http://www.art-interview.com/Issue_009/interview_Wiley_Kehinde.html
Rosof Libby, http://theartblog.org/2009/04/kehinde-wiley-at-pafa-talks-sex-power-gender/
Smith Roberta, http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/reference/timestopic/people/w/kehinde_wiley/index.html
Righthand Jess, The Washington Post, http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/arts-post/post/kehinde-wiley-from-personal-to-global/2011/04/15/AF|1ksd_blog.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kehinde-Wiley/106111756086113#!/pages/Kehinde-Wiley/307525552594119 
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