SONYA CLARK'S: ARTIST TALK

(ABOVE IMAGES)

1. Close detailed image of fine (missing) tooth combs from CJ. Walker portrait.

2. Detail image of graphics of fine (missing) tooth combs from CJ. Walker portrait.

3. Full image of Madame C. J. Walkers fine (missing) Tooth Comb Portrait.


Sunday, Jan 13, I went to the opening of the exhibit titled TRANSFORMERS.

Featuring Fiber Artist Sonya Clark and Artist David Ellis at Danny Simmon's Corridor Gallery in Brooklyn, This exhibit is the reconstitution of common objects. among the many works of Art, Artist David Ellis has composed and merged together a assemblage of album covers incased in clear acrylic that creates a wonderful graphic-cubist sculpture.

The one work of Art that stands out for me, is the piece titled Madame C.J. Walker, a very appropriate, exquisitely executed re-vision of a photograph of Madame C. J. Walker, This Neo-Portrait is reproduced, using fine tooth plastic hair combs.

What is so very "real" about this Fine Work of Art, is it's intellectual properties and historical statement it makes.

The missing teeth in the fine tooth combs (Ouch!!). These deconstructed assembled combs are true to the fact, of the missing, bent & mangled teeth in the fine tooth combs owned by healthy-headed African American Woman (Ouch!!),... back in the day (Ouch!!),... when we "Got-our-Hair-Did" (Ouch), in it's natural state, when our hair was stronger than the plastic combs (Ouch!!),... before Madame C. J. Walker created her hair straightening products, for our assimilation into the main-stream American Culture (Ouch!!!... You burnt me!!!)... "Can I get a witness here"!!!

As always... YET, ANOTHER BRILLIANT WORK OF FINE ART FROM SONYA CLARK!!!.

"I'M REALLY FEELIN THIS MASTERFUL WORK".

www.sonyaclark.com





ARTIST PANEL DISCUSSION

David Ellis and Sonya Clark will discuss their art work. moderated by Artist/Curator Danny Simmons
Saturday, February 2, 2008 4 - 5 pm.

Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery
334 Grand Ave.
Brooklyn NY. 11238
718 230-5002

DIRECTIONS

G train to Clinton/Washington Stop.
C Train to Clinton/Washington Stop

(images cannot be reproduced without permission of the Artist)

AMAZING FIBER ARTIST: SONYA CLARK

I just received this e-mail from Sonya Clark. I met Sonya about 3 years ago at a College Arts Association Conference and we have been trying to stay in contact every since…. She is an amazing Fiber Artist, who’s imagination brings a brilliant perspective to the Fine Art and the Culture of African American Natural Hair, You have to really, I repeat, really check her website out, www.sonyaclark.com This is one of the best constructed artist website I have ever seen, She really knows how to package herself, You go Mz Sonya!!!

The artwork displayed here is titled Afro-Abe II, it is a embroidered 5 dollar.

Check out the listings below to see where Sonya is exhibiting for Jan 2008.

PRICKED: Extreme Embroidery
Museum of Art and Design, NYC.

November 8, 2007 - March 9, 2008
"Pricked" is curated by David McFadden and has received lots of press. "My piece, Afro Abe II,made it into the review of the show in the Parisian newspaper, Le Monde. The show includes work by Ghada Amer, Elaine Reichek, Judy Chicago, Mark Newport and several others", "I'll be at the museum to give a lecture on Thursday, February 21. Click on the museum's link for more details".

FROM TABOO TO ICON, Icebox, Crane Arts, Philadelphia.

January 10, 2008 - February 10, 2008

"This exhibit, curated by Sophie Saunders and Shervone Neckles, includes two pieces of my work and BEADED PRAYERS, the collaborative project I created with over 4000 participants. "From Taboo to Icon" includes the work of Pepon Osorio, Karyn Olivier, Hank Willis, Syd Carpenter, Keith Morrison, Tyrone Mitchell and others".

TRANSFORMERS
Corridor Gallery, Brooklyn

January 13, 2008 - March 8, 2008

"In this two person exhibition at Danny Simmons' Corridor Gallery, David Ellis and I "address ideas of race, gender, and popular culture using everyday and found objects. I will be exhibiting my images of Madam CJ Walker done in hundreds of fine toothed combs. The curators are Danny Simmons and Meridith McNeal".

"I'll be at the opening on Sunday, January 13, 4-7 p.m
and there for a panel discussion on Saturday, February 2, 3-5 p.m"

www.sonyaclark.com

Sonya Clark is Chair of the Department of Craft/Material Studies at Virginia Commonwealth University School of the Arts in Richmond, Virginia. She has a M.F.A. (Cranbrook), B.F.A. (Art Institute of Chicago), and B.A. (Amherst College.) She is the recipient of a Pollock-Krasner Award and a Rockefeller Foundation Residency. Her work has been exhibited in over 150 venues in the UK, Brazil, South Africa, Canada, Taiwan, Austria, Australia, Ghana, France, Switzerland, and throughout the USA.

SONYA CLARK, is a "sho nuf" Heavy Weight, Sonya and I are in a group exhibit in the Bronx, at Hostos University that is going on now, I will get the full run of the exhibit later.