Greetings, Superstars!
I remember when I was introduced to the work of acclaimed multimedia artist Faith Ringgold. It was in a women’s studies class focused on artists at Monterey Peninsula College back in the 90s. Her famous story quilts—where she would paint, write, and otherwise augment quilts—were both part of, and canvases for, her art.
At first glance, I felt that feeling that you get when you’re struck by something that you find wonderful—a song, a book, artwork—kind of like quiet lightning erupting from your ribcage. Ringgold used a myrad techniques and materials to depict the African American experience. I’m grateful that I got a chance to see some of her work in New Orleans once because she passed away last week, having spent the better part of a century dazzling the world with her talent.
Another artist who crossed artistic genres to create something special is Shinehead, who mixed reggae with hip-hop music to create reggae fusion back in the late 80s/early 90s. You probably remember his hit, “Jamaican in New York,” but my personal favorite Shinehead song is “Gimme No Crack,” which denounces smoking crack (that was a big thing in the 80s) and features his rapid style:
Of course, my friends and I thought it was hilarious to sing about crack as teens. Today, you can hear reggae fusion listening to musicians from Shaggy to Sublime to Rihanna, who mix reggae with not just hip-hop but rock, pop, R&B, Latin beats, and more.
Whether an artist is mixing genres or mediums, it takes imagination and bravery to create something new.
I hope your week is filled with quiet lightning and inspiration, imagination and bravery.
Quilt Stories & Reggae: Celebrating Artistic Fusion