Urban Sketchers: Ai Weiwei at the Lisson Gallery, London

Urban Sketchers: Ai Weiwei at the Lisson Gallery, London: "The leading Chinese artist and activist Ai Weiwei has been held by the Chinese authorities without charge for more than two months now. He w..."

A Good Read on Basquiat...(I had to scan it in)

Needed Space..working in square canvas/ panel

I've read so much recently...just really getting into the grit of my undergraduate college career as an artist and have really been moved by the concept that the process of art making is as simple as addition and subtraction.  Its mark making and the rendering of my subconscious and worldly issues, experiences, and thoughts on panel.  Its the window into my life, my soul.  I've decided that here on out I will work in square format.  It removed the automatic decision of my audience that my work should be horizontal or vertical.  I am really working at allowing the viewer to feel as though he or she can reach into or walk into the window of my mind.  I've been moved by the work of Hyunmee Lee and Jean-Michele Basquiat, hence the square format and mark making aspect and the freedom to make marks in an almost childish way and resort to works and phrases also.  I feel as though I am really growing as an artist, and as a result of the meditative experience, I am growing as an individual.  My REALM series has really been growing, or should I say, evolving and becoming stronger in my effort to put myself in my work. 

"Realm 3 (Premature Autopsy)

D.LAMAR 2011

48" x 48"

Black Art or Black Artist

 I ran into someone today that saw my most recent painting, "Realm 2" and made the statement: "Oh wow, thats really nice, I really like Black Art"..I guess my question is, why is my work still being classified as "Black Art"? I really don't even like to use the color black in my paintings often, I like a real deep violet. I mean yeah, I'm a Black Artist by root...but I never knew my subconscious had a color.

"Realm 2"

D.LAMAR 2011

6ft x 4ft

now placed on display today at L'Jua's Bar and Grill in Albany, Ga

Been working...growing...painting

REALM 1

D.LAMAR 2011

Hopelessness of Worry

D.LAMAR 2011

Loads of Drawings and Studies as of recent

Recollections and Review

Recently I have been having a lot of dreams involving my family and friends, more so lost memories.  I had a dream the other day where I go a chance to go back in time and speak with my mother who passed away when I was 12.  All the while, I conversed and got to see her from other peoples' perspectives and also remembered asking her questions about how she raised me as a baby.  I don't remember any of the questions, but the majority of the imagery in the dream is still very vivid now.  I even saw my old neighbor, someone who was like an aunt to me, as she warned me of the dangers of crossing the street and not looking both ways.  Ironcally, my grandmother just spoke with her a few days ago.  This dream really fueled 2 pieces I just completed in sculpture and design 2 class.  At first I was a little skeptical about them because they were sort of rushed, but now that they are complete and have been seen by others, their opinions and commentaries on the pieces put me at ease.  Its funny how my mind works and how a simple opinion can make or break an attitude. 

A lot of my inspiration has been coming from the works of figurative and abstract artists like Harry Ally, Gustav Klimt, Egon Schiele, and Manuel Neri, but still stemming from lost memories, patterns that really interest me, and relationships lost.  I feel that by me addressing these issues head on in my paintings and sculptures, I am getting closer the peace and clarity that I know is still not going to be attained until I move on from this PLACE in my life.  By PLACE, I am giving no set location, but really just a short/brief period of my life.  There is still a lot of uncertainty and fog that lingers and I know I just have to keep moving through it to find an alternate path.  I guess its just a part of growing up.