MY ARH3631 Final

1. African American Final
Sam Vernon & Kehinde Wiley
By Zach Davey

2. The reason that I have decided to place the works of Sam Vernon and the works of Kehinde
wiley’s Rumor of wars pieces together was to show the different use of juxtaposition in an
unusual environment. The use of juxtaposition is a powerful skill, the artist can bring in viewers
with picture or art that is familiar or has a sense of comfort but by adding the juxtaposition of the
work this creates a whole new feeling or idea that will translate to the audience. Sam Vernon
uses fear and anxiety in her works. Sam is trying to re-tell stories of African Americans in her
own black- white vernacular. Both of these artists take looks at racism and the society in the
modern time. Kehinde places African American people in these large colorful pieces of old
European work in a way in which the viewer is familiar with the pieces but thrown off by the
change of the vocal point. Both of these artist are taking historical pieces and by using
juxtaposition to alter the piece. Sam Vernon uses personal family photos mixed with historical
images while Kehinde wiley recreates recognizable works of art with a new spin. Both of these
artists are using their placement of images or color to alter the viewer’s emotions or thoughts
and making the world see events or ideas in a different way.
Curatorial Statement

3. Sam Vernon Sam Vernon graduated from The Cooper
Union for the Advancement of Science and
Art in 2009.
Vernon is a 2010-11 A.I.R. Emerging Artist
Fellow and recipient of the A.I.R. Emma Bee
Bernstein Fellowship. Her first solo exhibition,
Think On It Then Lay It Down For Good was
on view at A.I.R. Gallery in 2011
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4. Ghost Rainbow : 2009 Ink
A piece of work that in the
name includes two very
different ideas. Rainbows in
which are colorful and happy
and which come after rain and
the idea of growth and then
ghost which is related to death
and otherworldly. The black
and white rainbow creating an
odd feeling of anxiety and
somewhat happiness

5. This piece of work again fits in
line with the otherworldly tone that
sam vernon creates. The artist
looks for ways to make the viewer
fearful or anxious. In this piece
the piece and the name almost
creates this feeling that the ink
created itself a non living object
that is brought to life.
Hi : 2011 Ink

6. Peek-a-Boo 2011 pen
This piece has a sense of
uncomfortableness because of the main
vocal point. This creature that if looked at
has an a body that resembles a human
and this strange creates head that a
hand that reaches out from the top. The
creature also looks as if it is being
swallowed by the blackness.

7. Ghosts : 2009 pen
Pen is a pieces that also creates the feeling
that sam vernon strives to in her work. A sense
of anxiety and fear. The vocal point the ghosts
of what could be past relatives or lives of
african americans. Again an otherworldly living
being that has a sense of life and fear that
makes the viewer uneasy.

8. Gossip : 2011 pen
This work makes the viewer feel anxious by
the crowd of people that are talking gossip as
the piece is titled. The african american
people have always had to deal with other
crowds of people gossips about them and
treating them wrongly so this piece might be
a visual piece about society.

9. Kehinde Wiley Kehinde Wiley was born in Los Angeles,
California in 1977.
He earned his BFA from the San Francisco Art
Institute in 1999 and his MFA from Yale
University, School of Art in 2001.
His work is found in many public collections
throughout the world, including the Toledo
Museum of Art;Minneapolis Institute of Art;
Brooklyn Museum; Columbus Museum of Art;
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10. Napoleon Leading The Army Over The Alps :
2005 Oil & Enamel
Kehinde likes to explore black culture in a
way in which he takes classical european
painting of nobleman or men of power and
then painting african americans of modern
time in these roles. This piece was done of
napoleon before he went off to war. Kehinde
does try to keep some of the european flavor
in the paintings.

11. The Chancellor Segue On Horseback :
2005 Oil & Enamel
This pieces was originally based off a
piece named
Chancellor Séguier at the Entry of Louis
XIV by Charles le brun in the 17th
century. The piece was keep at the
louvre and was done by a french artist.
Again you see men from modern day
displayed in classical european
surroundings and displaying power and
wealth.

12. The Capture of Juliers : 2006 Oil & Enamel
This was piece that was based off of
Thomas Francis, Prince of Carignano. The
artists likes to explore the idea of power
and what power was back in the times of
the classical times and what power is now.
The loud graphics that are used to replace
the background of the original pieces also
then to create a different feeling.

13. Le Roi A La Chassee II : 2007 Oil & Enamel
The repeating theme in all of this line of pieces
and most of his other works is power and the
african american modern culture and the style
and people that inhabit it. Another piece of work
that displays the sense of classical power and
the placement of modern african american men
instead of the classical european duke or
nobleman.

14. Count Potocki : 2008 Oil & Enamel
The artist again using the skill of
juxtaposition the normal surroundings of
a noble steed and the pose of a
classical european pieces of the
background is replaced with a graphical
background and vines. The main vocal
point is an african american man that is
too modern for the time period the piece
represents but this is the point of the
piece of placing african american in
places of noble power.