Sunday, January 31, 2010

Anthony Burks: The 4 Corners of My Mind



















Artist Anthony Burks Sr. has been called many things quiet, great family man, an admired advisor....but one thing everyone that comes in contact with him & his art all agree on; he is a fabulous artist. This Florida bred introvert is very soft spoken, but his art work screams loudly as it jumps off the page. Here is a quick interview I did of Anthony while we sat in the newly established Artspace 408 in the Village in Northwood that we manage.

Trina: When did art become part of your life?



Anthony Sr: I was born with it. I’ve been drawing since I can remember. My mother use to color in coloring books and I remember coloring with her. I use to enter little school contest. I did a drawing of Paul Bunyan chopping down a tree in 5th grade, & won 1st place. In 6th or 7th grade I drew Martin Luther King for a poster contest and one 1st place in that too. My prize was that I got to ride in the MLK parade. I guess you can say that is when I got bitten by the bug. I loved it until I got into high school , where it started becoming political. Since I have always been shy, my drawing was the only thing that got me the attention that sort of wanted.




Trina: Who or what are your artistic influences?




Anthony Sr: Cracks in the concrete, your hair, shadows on the wall, wrinkles in fabric; anything that has a shape to it that catches my eye. Storytelling, in later years have kept me flowing. Sometimes I am just out there.





Trina: What inspires you?




Anthony Sr: Wow!! Hard Question



(Customers walk into the Artspace. Anthony greats the two ladies and explains the concepts of some of the work. One would never believe that he wouldn't have do that 4 years ago. Often he would go into a corner and sketch in a journal & I would be the one to explain the concepts of Anthony Burks. We resume.)


Anthony Sr: People inspire me. I get challenged every time someone debates or compliments my work. It makes me work that much harder. I think when I get angry it is when I really create some of my best stuff, because I am in total control. And when I am happy I am doing other things.




Trina: That is very common with artists. They often are more creative when they are going through emotional stuff. What about music?




AnthonySr: Ahh. Music, somewhat. But it isn’t like I listen to a song and I run out and draw. So music isn’t the sole inspiration. But it does help.




Trina: Are there any other disciplines of art that you are a part of?




AnthonySr: Not directly, but I often collaborate with spoken word artists.



Trina: What is your favorite medium that you enjoy using?


Anthony Sr: Color pencil, of course. I love color pencil. I HATE working with acrylic. YUCK! It’s just sooo messy. I was working on a piece in here @ the gallery and it was all over me.




Trina: Where did you get your training?


Anthony Sr: The streets, hahaha. Probably 10th grade high school. I cannot credit anyone or anytime before that. There was this racist, redneck boy in 7th or 8th grade who always challenged me artistically me. He never said anything to me racially. But he always challenged me artistically because he was a really good artist. He would draw a lot of German paraphernalia , swastikas, German armored vehicles all kinds of that stuff. And I could not take away from him that he was really good despite his subject matter.

Trina: How long have you been pursuing art, professionally?


Anthony Sr: 20 years. Been trying to find the Underground Railroad from my job. Hahaha. And somehow I seem to lead everyone else out: but can’t seem to find my own way out.

Trina: How do you choose your subject matter?


Anthony Sr: It’s all in my head. Once I know I know what I am going to do, I do my research & try to find photos or take my own pictures for my visuals. The sad part is I can never find exactly the right subject matter to match what is in my head. And sometimes I have to revamp the things in my head to make the piece work.


Trina: What direction do you see visual art going?


Anthony Sr: A dinosaur. People are going to dig us up one day and find out what they lost. Robot artists! No creative thought! Computers are taking over. There are a lot of phony artists using the computer to do the brush strokes.


Trina: How do you define art?


Anthony Sr: FREEDOM.

Trina: What motivates you to do what you do?


Anthony Sr: Good Question. It’s my passion. My drug. Don’t know what I would do without it. I can go a few days without. But I have to go right back.


Trina: hahahahaha. I get what you mean. Do you have any favorite artists?


Anthony Sr: 1. Alvaro Rojas. http://www.southofsouthern-gallery.com A brilliant artist. He doesn’t let his art dictate his life. His works is just amazing. 2.Turgo Bastien. http://turgoart.com/index.html He is just special. I love his work. I love what he does. 3.Dr. Ken Grey. I love his spirit. When I first met him I wasn’t sure about him as an artist until we had a really great conversation. 4. Tonya Akins I love the intricate detail, notes, sketches, direction she puts into her doll making. Any artists that I can walk into a room & I can say WOW!!!!


Trina: Is there a discipline that you wish to work with?


Anthony Sr: Blown glass. I have always wanted to do that. I am fascinated with glass like Chiluly. I also want to go to Japan & learn watercolor from a master.


Trina: Do you feel that people respect art?


Anthony Sr: That’s a deadly question. That can make or break an artist. I think they don’t understand it. My mind is always thinks ART. And the average person doesn’t realize what goes into art.

Trina: What do want to be known for when you are gone?


Anthony Sr: Not art related. That every word that came out of my mouth was not a weapon. People don’t understand how strong my heart really is. I only try to help people. My advice is for that. Not to hurt. People probably assume that I want to be known for my art only. Once I’m gone I’m dust in the wind. It is too late then. I want for people to be able to appreciate my work while I am alive. So I can enjoy that appreciation too.



Anthony Burks' one man show pt I from Trina Slade-Burks on Vimeo.


ANthony Burks' one man show pt II from Trina Slade-Burks on Vimeo.

Friday, January 29, 2010

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Call to artists: Collaboration

Exhibit Dates: March 2, 2010- March 13, 2010
Deadline for submission Feb. 14, 2010
Title: Collaboration
Venue: Art Space 408 in the Village (408 Northwood Road, WPB, FL)
Eligibility: Open to artists residing in the United States. Work will be reviewed either via e-mailed JPG or by appointment only for a portfolio review. Work must be hand-delivered. No shipped work allowed. All artists are required to be present for opening & closing and sit the art space 3 days during the two weeks
Fees: No charge for review process.
If accepted in show fee are listed below
$200

$100 for members of the Collaboration website
Commission: 70/30 split of sale
All artist will receive the following:
Have their names posted on all advertising regarding the show. This includes all invitations, signage, articles and other promotional information.
Will receive 4”x9” invitation cards ( size of a #10 envelope) for their guests
Promotion of their chosen charity on signage & flyers
Will receive copy of the mailing list from the show of the guest who attended
Their deposit upon honoring their signed contract requirements

E-mail: dize_trina@hotmail.com for more information
(please put Collaboration on the subject line)

Monday, January 11, 2010

The Thinker Flip MinoHD

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Holds 60 minutes of HD-quality video on 4GB of built-in memory
$55 restocking fee on returns

Photobucket
http://www.cafepress.com/dizeimage.386180477

Tuesday, January 05, 2010

The Birth of Afro Boy Pt III

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This is the final part of the interview of this kooky, funny cat, Alexie F. After some serious thought I felt it made more sense to post part 3 of the interview in 2010; a new year, a fresh and free new start. To read the interview in its entirety click the links provided:

http://dizeimage.blogspot.com/2009/12/birth-of-afro-boy-pt-i.html

http://dizeimage.blogspot.com/2009_11_23_archive.html

Trina: What one word best describes Alexie F? ONE WORD!


Alexie F: funny


Trina: Where did the name Afro Boy come from? (snicker)


Alexie F: fun question to answer,,,, i had a huge afro as a kid,,,,im a puerto rican child with my puerto rican mother who didn’t braid hair,,,,so the afro pick with the fist was my best friend,,,, i grew up w/this young lady who found me as an adult gave me that name when we were kids,,,,alexief.blogspot.com was born literally 30 yrs later


Trina: Do you have any pet peeves, personally or professionally?


Alexie F: my pet peeve,,,,,hmmmm


Trina: Yes something that annoys the devil out of you.


Alexie F: we are suppose to be in the business of entertainment & people have serious faces on,,,,,I HATE THAT SHIT!!!!!!!,,,,,people need to relax & not take themselves so damn seriously,,,,if u can’t get past ur personal shit,,,,then get out of the business,,,,it’s about the fans ,,,,we need 2 laugh more,,,,even in these times giving our fans a little hope can go a long way


Trina: Is there one song that defines you? Kind of like in I’m Gonna Git U Sucka; a theme song that would play in the background ?


Alexie F: (chuckling) baby I’m a star by prince


Trina: hahahahaha Gee big surprise there. Hahaha. Is there one person living or dead that you truly admire & why?


Alexie F: gary oldman,,,b/c every character he plays is totally different from the next,,,,,I LUV HIM!!! hahaha


Trina: When it is your time to transition to the next life, what do you want to be known for?


Alexie F: always being a person who looked around the corner for the next thing…..never stopping & found a way to make something out of nothing,,,,& was always laughing

Alexie F’s closing remarks:


the birth of afro boy was obviously a life long journey that is still on going,,2009 was great & painful all @ the same time,,I lost a partner who I respected & trusted,,i have a hard time being treated like im not a founding member of the zro hour,,which i am…my contributions were 2 many 2 mention…i have no hard feelings about not being part of the vision any more,,truth be told we are both leos, & anyone that knows that they don’t play well together….he was alot more 2 me than a friend ,,,he is my brother ,,,& im not ashamed 2 say that,,,I got made love 4 him, & always will…the decision 2 move on yet painful was very necessary for my journey,,again i have no regrets,,,i am down for where ever this crazy music thing takes me,,I have accepted that I AM AN ARTIST,,,and with that comes pain, struggle but in the end it was all worth it

Monday, January 04, 2010

Honesty

When I think of you

When I think of you

I think about what is and what will be and not what was.

When I think of you,

I think about all the great talks we have and not the bickering we had.

When I think of you,

I cherish the moving forward of us and not the falling backwards of them.

When I think of you,

I look forward to the laughter we will share, and not the tears of despair.

When I think of you,

I look so forward to that great friendship that is so important to us both.

When I think you.

Your conflict

If conflict has found a way in your world, check yourself before pointing the finger. own your mistake and deal with it......then keep it movin'!