Time to Go

Just Listen

Have Nothing to Do

Ony When You're Happy

Be Good

Are You Mad?

"If You Got Love," 30 x 40, acrylic and collage on canvas

"I'm From Brooklyn," 30 x 40, acrylic and collage on canvas

Little Black Sambo is a story about an Indian boy. The original book was written by Helen Bannerman, a Scottish woman living in India. It’s actually a really cute and whimsical story about a little boy who uses his wits to escape a tiger attack. Somehow, the term “sambo” became a racial slur for black people in the United States and animators either perpetuated or exacerbated this truth. In 1935, Ub Iwerks (the same guy who created Flip the Frog from Give Me That Money) created an animated version of the story. He chose to portray Sambo and his mother as dim-witted black people in the American south. The cartoon seems less like a reincarnation of the popular book and more like an opportunity to poke fun at a minority group. But it begs the question of whether Bannerman was right to create the story in the first place. I don’t know…it might depend on intention in which case, I believe Bannerman was genuinely trying to give the world a fun and imaginative story. At any rate, the story is beloved around the world, especially in Japan.

This painting features several different interpretations of Little Black Sambo + some Fabolous lyrics.

"Give Me That Money," 30 x 40, acrylic and collage on canvas

This painting is part of a series but I’m not sure what to call it yet. The series is about applying new meaning to old imagery. As I searched through hundreds of classic cartoon stills, I came across many images that would be considered extremely racist today. I thought about how many of those cartoons reflected a universal sentiment during their time. They were used to indoctrinate children with ideas about minorities. Now, the cartoons take on new meaning when paired with rap and hip hop lyrics. These genres of music have been fueled by adversity, united a subculture and eventually grown into the mainstream repertoire. Give Me That Money features Flip the Frog and some lyrics by ODB.

Important facts about Ol’ Dirty Bastard:

1. Aliases include Dirt McGirt, Big Baby Jesus, Peanut the Kidnapper and Dirt Dog.

2. When he was in the studio, he would suddenly freeze because he thought there were aliens in the room.

3. He was once arrested for stealing a shoe. Not a pair of shoes…just one single shoe.

4. Picked up his welfare checks in a stretch limo.

5. He had great hair.

6. He has been known to, “Rain on ya college ass, disco dorm!”