Dishin' It with Dwight Artist of the Month

As The Future wraps up Art Month I am really excited about featuring one of my closet friends as my second artist of the month. Charly Dominguez is an amazing artist who's art captures his spirituality, creativity, and passion. I have had the opportunity of even having Charly put art on my body in a photo shoot that we did together many years ago. Please take a look at the influence and talent that this young man has on a new generation of artist.

1. What is your inspiration behind your art?
The inspiration behind my art is life itself. Primarily I am inspired by a ritualistic life and my experiences in the spiritual communities I belong to. My first paintings were based on the spirit world. I would receive visions of deities, spirits, and beings from other dimensions, and these visions informed my work. Sexuality and gender have also been themes of inspiration. Growing up in New York City is difficult period because of poverty and violence, and as a Queer Multi-Spirited young person, often misunderstood and ostracized because of my sexual orientation or my gender expression it was even more difficult to find places of peace and refuge. I came up existing in several cultures and subcultures. I identified with the black/latino, LGBT, house ball, Hip Hop culture and the many issues of oppression that we as a people face have inevitably been subjects which I have produced works. The process is therapeutic and is a constant outlet for me dealing with my issues. I am one with the art, everything from my appearance, my very extreme emotions, and my experience of this and other worlds are incorporated into my work. Art allows me to capture visions from beyond, document my experiences, purge from my own issues, and engage in a creative life with my community.

2. What was your initial instinct when you decided to produce art professionally?
My initial instinct was the need to find my own language to communicate with the people in my life. Creative expression has been the basis by which I’ve been known since I was child. Dancing, Drawing, Painting, Writing poetry have been the tools I’ve used in my communication, and have been how people have identified with me throughout my life. The social service work of healing in which I have worked for and received benefited from brought me opportunities to use Art as a method of Education and tool for healing. I have collaborated with many community artists in projects, events, performance and visual art installations where I have been able to incorporate my personal struggles and issues that I am working through

3. How often do you produce work of art?
I produce works almost every day, from drawing, to painting, to my many physical transformations, photographs, writings…these are all parts of my daily rituals, whenever I’m not doing any of these things, that’s when I know something is seriously wrong.

4. What is your work space like?
My work space is my living space. My home is always filled with paintings in progress, a space to I can make almost anywhere my work space because if I get a vision or idea on the train, and I have my colored pencils with me, then that too becomes my work space. I always live with a whirlwind of organized mess, cluttered with paints, wig heads, wood, canvases, stones, clay, etc.

5. What other skills do you have that your art contributes to?
My art contributes to my skills in creative direction. I am able to visualize concepts for events, programs, and other productions.

6. Can you be taught to be an artist or is it a skill you are born with?
I believe we all have an artist inside of us, if we listen and allow it the freedom to express everything it feels and says. The skill is something I was born with, and am now interested in refining my skills through schooling but I do not want to lose the authenticity in my personal process. I do feel that the spirit of creativity is something that is not taught, it is something that like a child grows and like a sculpture molded.

7. Have you ever used your art in the bedroom?
Not often enough, but I am open to suggestions and may make special invitations for one or more…

8. Who’s work have you admired?
I admire the artists that I am connected through in my own life. Those people who I know personally who like me are constantly creating and engaging in creative projects with me. They are too many to name but they are my family and friends, and you have been one of them ;-).

9. Who has influenced your talent the most?
The goddess Oshun, she is my joy, my sadness, my laughter, my movement, my love, and my inner queen. And all the people who have been reflections of her in my life.

10. Do you sell your art? When is your next sell?
My original artwork is for sale. I am in the process of making prints of my works to sell. I have also been commissioned to create works for organizations, writers, and individuals for print, exhibition, and personal. My next sell will be a series new images created for the coming holidays, followed by an unveiling of new works and yet another altar ego NUINWIN during my birthday gathering January.

11. What type of emotions do you typical translate through your art?
I translate almost every emotion. I am a very moody old man/young child, and I have created works while feeling emotions I can name, and emotions that there are no words for. I would say passion is what I have to feel to in order to create anything.

12. Have you ever produced work that you have not liked or appreciated?
There have been many works that upon starting I have not liked, most of these I build upon, or totally start from scratch with, and I also believe that this is part of the creative process because most of my paintings start out being one thing, and turn into something totally unexpected/unplanned.

13. How can we follow you as an artist?
My website will be launched early 2010 but I can be contacted @
1.347.259.1166 (voicemail)
Charlyjdominguez@hotmail.com
Facebook.com/charlyjdominguez
Myspace.com/charlyjdominguez
Twitter.com/charlydominguez

The Artist Leroy Campbell

THE FUTURE IN ART

Simply put, Leroy Campbell is a quintessential artist. His work, created in a variety of mixed media and reflective of the African-American experience, evokes an unexpected range of emotions. He becomes a griot, telling stories of hard work, dignity, love and caring: stories which are at times haunting and painful, yet hopeful and inspiring, and bring to life folks who are proud, god-fearing and self-reliant.

He is best known for his silhouetted elongated figures with long necks. He paints them without eyes or noses; with mouths only, which he says leaves it up to viewers’ interpretation. His work embodies a universal message yet remains an extension of his southern roots. Campbell, born in Charleston, South Carolina, a city particularly rich in African-American history, culture and traditions, is a self-taught artist who began the serious pursuit of his craft in 1984 while living in New York City. As he has grown, so has the intensity of his artistic expression. Artistically, he captures the spirit and flavor of African-American life in the south by employing his rich multi-media collage techniques including a mixed-media of vintage clothing, quilted fabrics, burlap, needles, thread, elements of southern terrain, newspaper and the skillful use of color.

His most recent series “The Newspaper Series” features news print as its most dominant feature. His use of newspaper signifies more than one denotation. On one hand, it represents the Gullah rituals of witchcraft to who by papering the walls of their houses with news print protected them against and rid of curses and dangerous spirits. On the other hand, the newspaper serves as a time capsule, since upon a closer glance the newspaper articles triumphantly detail the palpable, unwavering strength and perseverance of people of African ancestry from slavery to present day.

His newest works interpret present day by his characterization of people painted blue. The color blue emanates an energy that allows us to look beyond and increase our perspective outward. It contains a cool vibration that is helpful to communication. It counteracts chaos or agitation, and provides protection, health, confidence and strength.

“I am an artist who believes that art can influence, inspire, and encourage dialogue. I believe art heals, breaks down stereotypes and advocates diversity. My new works proclaim a spirit of universality that will hopefully open the lines of easy communication and promote peace.”– Leroy Campbell

Campbell's artwork is sold to contemporary galleries and collectors internationally. His work is displayed in corporations, universities and private collections. Campbell’s distinctive art has been seen on hit television shows "Martin", "Fresh Prince of Bel Air", "Living Single", "The Jamie Foxx Show", "The Cosby Show", "In the Heat of the Night", and in feature productions like "The First Wives Club" and others.

Discover Kehinde Wiley the True Modern Art Master

The Future in ART

Kehinde Wiley is a New York based painter from Los Angeles who has situated himself firmly within art history's tradition of portrait painting. Wiley, as the contemporary descendent of a long line of portraitists including Reynolds, Gainsborough, Titian, Ingres, and others, appropriates the signs and visual rhetoric of the heroic, powerful, opulent, majestic, and sublime in his representations of young, urban, black men.

The subjects and stylistic references for his paintings are juxtaposed inversions of each other, forcing ambiguity and provocative perplexity to pervade his imagery. By applying the visual vocabulary and conventions of glorification, history, wealth, power, and prestige to subject matter drawn from the urban fabric in which he is embedded, Wiley presents his young men as both heroic and pathetic, aestheticized and reified, autonomous and manipulated. Ultimately, Wiley's practice disturbs and interrupts tropes of portrait painting to locate, in his words, "class struggle at the level of sign".

Wiley’s paintings often blur the boundaries between traditional and contemporary modes of representation. Rendered in a realistic mode –– while making references to specific old master paintings –– Wiley creates a fusion of period styles, ranging from French rococo, Islamic architecture and West African textile design to urban hip–hop and the "Sea Foam Green" of a Martha Stewart Interiors color swatch. Wiley’s slightly larger than life size figures are depicted in a heroic manner, as their poses connote power and spiritual awakening. Wiley’s portrayal of masculinity is filtered through these poses of power and spirituality.



His portraits are based on photographs of young men who Wiley sees on the street, begun last year with men mostly from Harlem’s 125th Street, the series now includes models from the South Central neighborhood where he was born. Dressed in street clothes, they are asked to assume poses from the paintings of Renaissance masters, such as Titian and Tiepolo. Wiley also embraces French rococo ornamentation; his references to this style compliment his embrace of hip–hop culture. Similarly, the poses of his figures appear to derive as much from contemporary hip–hop culture as from Renaissance paintings.

The artist describes his approach as "interrogating the notion of the master painter, at once critical and complicit." Wiley’s figurative paintings "quote historical sources and position young black men within that field of power.” In this manner, Wiley’s paintings fuse history and style in a unique and contemporary manner.

Dishin' IT with Dwight's Artists of the Month

So with November being ART Month for The FUTURE, I decided to highlight two very talented artist for the month. The first artist I have had the opportunity to chat with is Isaam Houston, who describes himself as "the most creative person i know, i laugh at my own jokes, i love eating cake bater, i cry at movies, i contradict myself, i love myself, im insecure, i smile alot, i masterbate too often, i am an emotional eater, im single, i love janet jackson, im a poet, im the middle child, i love spinach, i analyze myself and others way too much, my mother is friend, my father is a stranger, im passionate, Im an artist and thats me!"

I love ISAAM and would love to go on a date with him because Geminis are so sexy... Check out what he had to say.



1. What is your inspiration behind your art?  My last collection was inspired by the seven stages of grief, following the passing of my cousin, I found myself in a downward spiral. My only solution in healing was diving deep into my work, and through the process of finding peace, hope, answers, and truth, I usually find my work.

2. What was your initial instinct when you decided to produce art professionally?  How scary. The words "starving artist" always came to mind, so for me it had to be about something more than just the money. It had to be about the heart and passion of story telling. I also worried about how my work would be recieved, because here I am pouring my heart into my work, and then having someone judge that can be very intense especially since I come from a friend circle of many talents.

3. How often do you produce work of art?  Im an artist by nature , not by choice....so if I am not painting, I am contributing something else. My life would not be complete if I didnt do so. So to answer your question, pretty often.

4. What is your work space like?  Any empty space, I am partial to my bed. I clear everything off...put on a good cd (yea those still exist) and just go.....or the floor, or the living room...really anywhere, I'm not picky.


5. What other skills do you have that your art contributes to?  I've been in art classes since I was 9, so around 8th grade I started cutting my own hair....to me it was like outlining a picture...just came very natural.

6. Can you be taught to be an artist or is it a skill you are born with?  Honestly my favorite kind of art is childs art.....I usually ask my younger family members to make me something in school...and they are not being trained, they are just putting crayon to paper and going, and I love it.....I think its a skill everyone has but few people spend crafting it. As long as you strive for your personal best and not the next ones....your work is just as good as a picasso.

7. Have you ever used your art in the bedroom?  I've acted( so I've role played), I've danced (so I dropd it) I do spoken word (so sometimes you cant shut me up) and I paint (so I guess the picture I just painted for you is as much as I've done)

8. Who’s work have you admired?  My brother was my first inspiration. He is a dope artist himself. The local graphitti artist. My first art teachers....and just anyone who was doing it....I find joy in watching anyone create. that alone inspires me.

9. What type of emotions do you typical translate through your art?  I like to think raw emotions.  If I havent exposed a part of myself that surprises even myself then I have not accomplished my goal. I've been told that my work and my story telling is very honest and couragious.

10. Have you ever produced work that you have not liked or appreciated?  Yes I have. In my last show...the last painting I did for the set, I was not impressd by, and  I almost did not include it...but at the time...my partner (at the time) loved it....and it touched him, even though it did nothing for me....I put it in the show and it got great response....so yea it happens.