artwork

Q&A with American Painter Fahamu Pecou

Q&A with American Painter Fahamu Pecou
photo credit: Fahamu Pecou

In 2010, The McColl Center  had an open house exhibit of several artists.

During my tour, I had the pleasure of meeting American Painter, Fahamu Pecou.  His paintings resemble photographs spread across a canvas.  This talent and love of the arts indubitably sparked my interests.   

In addition to his accomplished abilities, Pecou compells his audience with self portrait’s  to represent what he wants us to recognize. 

So what do these images mean?

 I recently had a chance to catch up with Fahamu.  Check out our Q&A:

How did this talent for painting and creativity begin? As a child did you always know you wanted to be an artist?

Thinking back yes, I’ve always wanted to be an artist. But I remember very early on hearing or being told that artists only gain recognition or success after they died. I thought that was a pretty unfulfilling existence, so I also have always endeavored in figuring out a way to be a living artist who was acknowledged for their work. 

Around the 4th grade, I learned about cartoon animators and figured, hey, they make money, they draw all day and I LOVE cartoons… THAT’S WHAT I’LL DO! So from the time I was 9 until about 18 all I did was draw cartoons and prepare to own my own animation studio one day.
 
But as fate would have it, in college, I met a friend who introduced me to fine art, particularly painting. But she would show me around to museums and galleries and really opened me up to what art could be. I never looked back at cartoons. LOL

Have you created any other worked with any other mediums?

I do work in multiple mediums. As a creative person, my mind doesn’t see the material as an obstacle or restriction. I will work with whatever I can get my hands on.
 
 
 I prefer painting, for its historic and aesthetic evocations, but also for  the tactile quality of the medium. I love how paint moves, and feels and looks in gallery lighting. It’s seductive. But I am also quite fond of charcoal, for many of the same reasons.
 
 I’m a performer, so I also enjoy video and music. In fact, depending on the idea, I will employ whatever medium I feel will best suit my desired outcome.
 

In 2009, you were featured in two international exhibits, South Africa and Switzerland. 
What pieces did you feature and tell us about the overall experience. 

 
My exhibition in Cape Town was a series of works called Whirl Trade. The images were inspired by my experiences in South Africa the year before. I was enthralled by the performance of African-America on South African bodies. The shock opened me up to seeing that same performance on black bodies throughout the diaspora.
 
This mimicking of style, dress, behavior, fashion and entertainment was often very odd and foreign taken out of the context of America. I found myself somewhat disappointed as I’d personally held a very romanticized view of African lifestyles and that seemed to be less important or maybe even non-existent. The end result is a series of works that looks at the cross-cultural exchange between black people in America and our brothers and sisters on the continent and beyond. I wanted to address the skewed idealism we each held of the other and challenge the stereotypes and fantasies we embrace and project.
photo credit: Fahamu Pecou
 
 
My show at Art Basel was a suite of paintings inspired by then newly-elected President Barack Obama and in particular the peculiar fascination American media and culture had with Barack and Michelle. I was first moved to do the work when I heard reporters scrambling to find something or someone to compare them to and the best they could come up with was Cliff and Claire Huxtable. I found it completely ridiculous that mainstream America were so perplexed by a black couple that were not of the civil rights movement or didn’t fall into the pejorative stereotypes of black people. In the series, I take on the role of BLACK PRESIDENT and confront the stereotypes, fears, fantasies and confusion many people were trying to express subtly.
 
 
What will you be doing in 2012? (i.e. projects, events)
I have a busy schedule in 2012, beginning with an exhibition at the University of Wisconsin Osh Kosh in February. Later in the year, I have shows in New York and Paris and a museum show in Sumter, S.C.  I am also producing 6 installments of my live late-night talk show The 15 Project, 4 in Atlanta and 2 in other markets and I’ve just applied to a couple programs to pursue my Ph.D in African American Studies and Visual Culture.
 
Upon viewing your work we noticed you in the paintings. Your Artist Statement explains your presence as a typification or symbolization. When did you decide to feature yourself in your work? How did this representation surface? etc. 
 
My arrival at the self-portraiture element in my work happened very organically. The original NEOPOP paintings were a continuation of my self-promotion campaign “Fahamu Pecou is The Shit!”. Over time, the character has evolved to represent the fallacies and concerns of black male bodies in contemporary visual culture. I continue to use myself in the work because it challenges people’s preconceived ideas about black men. We ALL do a type of profiling based on appearance and sadly, we limit a lot of our experiences by dismissing people based on appearance, the way they talk, where they live, etc. In my work, my character takes on these different roles and appearances and puts it in your face. Through this confrontation, one is forced to evaluate not only the image, but also their reaction to it while simultaneously having to take into account the fact that this is the artist in this very forward presentation. And actually, everything about what you’re viewing is slightly skewed… the larger than life presentation, the attitude, the cryptic text, the exaggerated realities… they are all designed to challenge, critique and create dialogue.
 
**Some images may not be suitable for young children.  Click the read more tag for the remainder of the interview. 
Did you have any concerns about how your work would be portrayed with you in it?
 
 
 
I didn’t originally, but I do often find that some people aren’t able to move past my face to see the bigger picture. Many think I’m just conceited or something… which should actually be a trigger to go deeper (and often is). But for the most part, its not a concern- at most a invitation to spark a dialogue with the artist.
 
photo credit: Fahamu Pecou
 
 
 
Tell us a little about your collection: Sophisticated Ignorance. What are these images telling us or better yet what is the message you want us to take from it?
 

Sophisticated Ignorance is looking at where we are as a culture. Many of us have the appearance of sophistication but are really ignorant to what’s actually happening. On the flip side of that, we often look at people who are not necessarily following the system’s rules as being ignorant, when really their method to madness is quite sophisticated and thought out. I wanted to create work that played with both sides of the coin and again, call us to question what makes us comfortable of safe. To open us up to ideas beyond our own and entertain new ways of thinking. As with most of my work, its done in a tongue and cheek kind of way.

photo credit: Fahamu Pecou

 

What advice would you give an aspiring artist? 
AGITATE. AGITATE. AGITATE. 
 
photo credit: Fahamu Pecou
 
photo credit: Fahamu Pecou
 
 
 
 

 

 

Thank you Fahamu for blessing Natural High
 
To learn more about Fahamu Pecou and to purchase his work check out his website. 

 

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