Issue 64 | www.fokus.org
Atiba T. Edwards, Founder & Chief Curator
Atiba is an engineer focused on making and connecting creative people through moments so they can impact their own world.
Shani Cohen, Curator
Shani is a Brooklyn based writer who believes in uniting our diverse communities through art and the power of words.
INSIGHT is a digital art magazine that showcases creatives from all disciplines. Based on the concept that art defines cultures and civilizations, we provide insight into the artists who are shaping our culture through their work today. Curated to provide insight on those who are creating art in their own way.
INSIGHT: Imagined Future Cover Art by SIPROS
Contributing Artists: Chor Boogie • Elan Cadiz • Darlene Deloris • Atiba T. Edwards • Sade Fasanya Meg Hennessy • Elsa Marie Keefe • Brittany Maldonado • Abraham Onkst • Claudia Riesgo • Kristin Sudeikis • Sipros • Noelle Salaun • Darlene Deloris
/FOKUS
/FOKUSart
/FOKUSart
/FOKUS
Questions, comments and contributions can be sent to insightsubmit@gmail.com. To view past issues of INSIGHT, visit www.fokus.org/insight. Copyright © 2021. INSIGHT (ISSN 2164-7771) is a publication of FOKUS, Inc. All rights reserved on entire contents. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.
INSIGHT: Imagined Future 4 Sipros Here...With Your Heart 16 16 Atiba T. Edwards The Soul’s Language with Kristin Sudeikis 22 22 Elan Cadiz Scaffold: Equity of Treatment 30 Elise Putnam Contending with White Bodies 32 32 Noelle Salaun Representame 34 Ahmed Tabbakh Sound and Fury 35 Chor Boogie Modern Hieroglyphics 46 Darlene Deloris Black Girl Becoming 49 Meg Hennessy Flower Petal Wingèd Brethren 50 Elsa Marie Keefe sub specie aeternitatis 60 Abraham Onkst Love, Freedom and Solace 62 Brittany Maldonado La Vibra 64 Claudia Riesgo Residue I and II 66 Sade Fasanya Our Nation
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Here...with your heart Sipros
4 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
My art work reinforces the message of “Listen with your ears and understand with your heart.” Just like a child does! However, when we grow up we stop listening to many things that need to reach our hearts. Wellington Naberezny, better known as Sipros, is 37 years old and is from São Paulo, Brazil. He started in graffiti in 1997 and became known for his character “Big Ears”, which makes an analogy for children, which is his source of inspiration and reflection. www.fokus.org | 5
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
6 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 7
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
8 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 9
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
10 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 11
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
12 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 13
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
14 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 15
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
The Soul’s Language
Interview by Atiba T. Edwards
Four years ago, my friend Mikhael, sent me an email out of the blue asking me to be part of a concert at BAM. Kristin Sudeikis was creating “Stand with Revolutionary Love” and was looking to have voice paired with choreography. I shared a story of a friend who was killed by a stray bullet - something I’ve never talked about - to an entire audience inside BAM’s Fischer building. That moment helped lift my soul in ways I didn’t realize I needed. I reconnected with Kristin to talk about the power of dance, FORWARD__Space, her imagined future and how these all sync. Here are her words and images.
Atiba: Often times words and speech lead change and protests. In what ways do you feel dance and the body can connect to a betterment of the future? Kristin: This immediately makes me think that there is a reason we march, we become so undeniably moved that we must put our bodies in action. Change and progress are meant to be physically moved. Physically expressed. Spoken! Then moved through the human body, through each of our vessels. Dance has long been the way humanity circled together to grieve, cry, play, celebrate, imagine, gain clarity, community and more. I bow to the choreographers, artistic directors and dancers across time that have courageously embodied the truth and the human story so as to allow an audience to connect and hopefully, feel something, bear witness to either stories they themselves know or to ones they can learn from and feel into. I bow to the artists that create that sense of kinesthetic empathy, understanding, compassion, fire and curiosity.
16 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Atiba: What do you imagine for your future? Kristin: One of continued service to the arts, to dance, music, humanity, to infinite learning, storytelling, truth, to questioning what is presented before me. I imagine reimaging what the possibility of the future will be with my every word, thought, action, dance piece, creation, company and more. I envision my future with me doing all I can with the time I am here. To create work, movement and physicalized conversations that push past any perceived limits-- awakening that raw sense of clarity and possibility in others as well as in my own being. I imagine my future as an infinite student of Universe University, as I sometimes tend to call it. www.fokus.org | 17
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
How do you see dance being connected to freedom? Dance is intrinsically linked to freedom at a primal and mystical level. Primal because it is instinctual, guttural, ancient and timeless. Dance is the vehicle directly driving us to both individual and collective liberation. In its truest form, dance holds the capacity to be a complete expression of freedom-- mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually. The tension between the simple yet complex nature of this truth is all held within dance. On the mystical level, dance is full connection. Connection to our bodies, music, the present moment, the greater world around us. For some it is connection to spirit. For me, dance is prayer. I describe prayer as a connection to something greater than myself and that is my direct experience of dance. Dance is water. It is waves. It is past, present and future all in one physical embodiment that is only happening in the ever-present now. By aligning the body with these inherent connections, one inevitably experiences a sense of freedom.
Complete the phrase “Art is...” My first thought is what if that is the full phrase? Art is... the ever-evolving breath, breaking, being and becoming again and again and again. 18 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 19
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Atiba: How do you envision FORWARD__Space providing needed space for various communities? Kristin: We see FORWARD__Space as a dual landing and launching pad for communities, both near and far. The galaxies of deep connection, love, healing humanity, and pure potential are not so far from our reach when we board the ships of movement and music and collectively launch forward into this real space. 20 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
We often say that FORWARD__Space is for those who used to dance, love to dance and want to dance — meaning, we welcome everyone into our space. There is an athlete and artist in all of us.
At FORWARD__Space, we simply hope to help unlock what is already there. We aren’t looking for everyone to fit into one mold or move in one type of way—rather we invite people to bring their full and unique self onto the dance floor.
We all need a space to move, to take up the space of our bodies, to drop, connect, explore and exhale. Whether in the comfort of the sanctuarymeets-club-environment, with the beats high and the lights low at 24 Spring Street or in the comfort of your own home and connecting with us through our Virtual Hub, FORWARD__Space is a vibe. A space to sync up and be guided through the inherent powers of music, dance and sweat. www.fokus.org | 21
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
We have a devoted intention to community— both the community we have built, as well as with the ones we have had the honor to move with since opening. Through our Movement+Action series, we’ve gathered to raise awareness, frequency and funds with communities such as Sandy Hook Promise, Lower East Side Girls Club, Until Freedom and Trans Women of Color Collective.
22 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Dance, by its nature, is communal. At the core of it all, dance is analogous to love. And just like love— it is not something to be looked at from the outside but rather, to be experienced and to be experienced with others. And with that... cue the music.
www.fokus.org | 23
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Scaffold: Equity of Treatment Elan Cadiz
24 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 25
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
26 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 27
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
28 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 29
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Contending with White Bodies
Elise Putnam I imagine a world where white people are actively aware of the ways in which our bodies can perpetuate trauma, A world where we increasingly choose to listen to those whose experiences are different from ours. A world where we reflect upon aspects of our history and present that do not cast us in favorable light.
30 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
In my practice I emphasize the ways in which images of fetishized white women in art historical and contemporary not only reinforce patriarchy but also reinforce white supremacist ideologies by equating whiteness with goodness and desire. My series of grotesquely fetishized self-portraits makes monstrous the art historical trope of the curvy white woman with long wavy blonde hair.
Elise Putnam (b. Chicago, 1986) is an interdisciplinary artist living and working in Brooklyn. She has exhibited her work in the San Francisco Bay Area, Chicago, Brooklyn, and South Africa. www.eliseputnam.com www.fokus.org | 31
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Representame Noelle Salaun
32 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Representame is about the lack of representation the United States government has given to immigrants and people of minority descent. Women, people of color, and the LGBTQ+ community have been working tirelessly just to have their voices heard. After decades of their effort, not enough has been done. It seems as though seeing true representation will be nothing more than a fantasy for now. Salaun knew she wanted to use a woman of color to be the symbol of representation the United States government has always lacked. With current events, Salaun considered Vice President Harris, however, this matter is not only about the presidential level of politics but the working class minorities and other branches of government. Salaun turned to a photo of her grandmother she took in early 2018. Salaun’s grandmother immigrated to the United States in the mid-1980s in search of a better future and was met with discrimination and racism. She worked odd jobs to make ends meet and eventually helped raise Salaun and her brother.
Noelle Salaun is a Queens, NY-based artist. She found she loved art while young, seeing it as a universal language. Ever since, she has provided a unique lens on her experiences and the world around her. www.fokus.org | 33
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Sound and Fury Ahmed Tabbakh “All wars are civil wars, because all men are brothers. “ — Francois Fenelon A cinture Waiting off the shore on a rock Wanting to be seen Neglecting where it is Looking where we stand Each of us marked with the tonsure Of our times and places No names or faces Just numbers and numbers Not members of cultures Just people or vultures Standing still like sculptures But how to bound By what means? The keystone stands away Hidden, yet clear as day
Ahmed Tabbakh is a NY-based writer who enjoys both poetry and prose. Writing from the age of 8, Tabbakh has learned to write as well as he can. He hopes to publish his first novel soon. 34 | www.fokus.org
Modern Hieroglyphics
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Chor Boogie
www.fokus.org | 35
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
36 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 37
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
38 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 39
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
40 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 41
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
42 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 43
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
44 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
My artwork is derived from the colors of my soul. It is a therapeutic flow of colors, shapes, and movements combined into one. A movement of images that has adapted to space giving it the significance of belonging to its surface, coming together as one and forming images of creation. Expressing realms of colors that give a healing sense and encourages you to wake up. www.chorboogie.com www.fokus.org | 45
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Black Girl Becoming Darlene Deloris
Bigger Than This
I use reference photos to create portraits of Black people frozen with stoic reactions or moods, and then use symbols, texture, patterns, and vibrant colors to portray emotion. Giving voice to the Black woman who is constantly transposing between a state of angsts and of regality. 46 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Some Kinda Blue
I strive to make conscious, direct, and whimsical art that presents a stoic emotion to the viewer, while using colors to equate emotion. Malcolm X is coined for having said, “The most disrespected person in America is the Black woman.” I recently had a baby girl, and my future will be a world where Black girls and women are seen, heard, and uplifted the same way they are in my artwork. www.fokus.org | 47
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Red, White, Black, & Blue
Born in Atlanta, Ga in the 1980s, Brooklyn based artist Darlene Deloris also uses the moniker Lena Love. Her painting subjects are women who look like the Black women she grew up seeing and learning around. www.darlenedeloris.com 48 | www.fokus.org
Flower Petal Wingèd Brethren
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Meg Hennessy
Dance among the illusory air That exists in between us. What’s us? There is no we if you are me And I feel you disappear In the wee hours of the still morning. Nobody is here Breathing happens in the silence Of my needing And wanting you to want me More than you do. Who are you? Who am I? I am. There is Nobody there And nobody comes. A voice that sounds like my own says things without my permission You ask it for the truth And I implore it to shut the fuck up. But one nudge from you and out it comes. I am helpless And stillness Still it’s meaningless This truth That exists in the illusory air between us. I am a fish flapping within your nothingness I have permission To envision a premonition Of you and I beg it not to come true But it already has. And I don’t want to let go! I’m along for the ride of my life Upon the only road we will ever know And, in turn, To our death we go Meg Hennessy is an Irish actor living in NYC. She writes poetry to make sense of the overwhelming moments of life. www.fokus.org | 49
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
sub specie aeternitatis Elsa Marie Keefe
50 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
collective liberation
www.fokus.org | 51
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
see / sea
52 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
survive
My work connects to the theme because my vision is all about the imagination, and the inherent beauty of the mind, body, soul and Mother Earth. It is my dream and intention behind the work to facilitate a global return to the land. In my mind, we must go back to our roots, ancestral wisdom, heal past trauma through breathing the air as we stand barefoot in a forest, swim naked in the sea, feed the body with local wholesome food and cherish each moment, human, animal and sentient being. By realizing our oneness with all beings, our future will be bright. Focus on the light. Follow the sun, it is our Sol. We are light beings. Remember what the soul already knows (amnesis). www.fokus.org | 53
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
54 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
born wild www.fokus.org | 55
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
56 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
NIRVANA www.fokus.org | 57
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
58 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
we are earth www.fokus.org | 59
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Love, Freedom and Solace Abraham Onkst
Freedom
I think that subconsciously I am always contemplating and imagining what I desire for the future of myself and the world. I believe we are all dreamers and creators and that the thoughts we think and the choices we make ultimately are what create our reality. We have the power when we join together to create the life we desire. These pieces each reflect a different facet of the future I wish to create. A future with love, freedom, and solace. 60 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Solace
Abraham Onkst is a painter, designer, photographer and creator. Passionate about creating fine artwork, clothing, home decor, and more, Onkst has a mission to create absolute beauty. www.onkstart.com www.fokus.org | 61
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
La Vibra
Brittany Maldonado
62 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
La Vibra, which translates to the vibe, depicts a woman in a body of water with her third eye open. This is the vision I have for myself, my future, and my hope for the world. I want to be vibrating on a higher consciousness. My vision is that we connect back to and respect Mother Earth. That we return to the time before this society got swallowed up by consumerism, greed, hatred, etc. That we connect back to humanity. That we lead with compassion. That we open our higher consciousness to realize that we are all connected and together can shape the existence that we deserve.
Brittany Maldonado is a self-taught mixed media artist and spoken word poet. Her main practice is creating detailed collages from recycled materials. She released her first poetry book, Letters to My Stepping Stones, in July of 2019. www.birttanymaldonado.com www.fokus.org | 63
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Residue I and II Claudia Riesgo
When I use residues in my artworks what I try to represent is a change, a searching of human´s awareness about the dangerous situation that we have caused on the planet. I´m hopeful that gradually our society will learn to be sustainable, because I believe that if we don´t know how to take care of Earth, we don´t know how to take care of ourselves. 64 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Has is 23 and wants to work as an artist, is studying to improve her skills and complete her formation. The artist completed an engraving and stamping course and recently began a course in ceramics. claudiariesgo.tumblr.com www.fokus.org | 65
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Our Nation Sade Fasanya
Sharing Black stories through my lens is one of my highest callings. When the people took to the streets in May of 2020 to demand justice for yet another Black life that was taken unjustly, I knew that my camera was one of my weapons in the war towards Black liberation. While I took to the streets to protest and document the people, there were many chants demanding the reform of policing in the United States and of course, several chants reminding the world that Black lives matter.
66 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
I went through a whirlwind of emotions documenting the protests and finally landed in a place where I had to take a step back from documenting our pain. It was too much for me to handle. Juneteenth marked a turn in emotions for me where I found myself submerged in different celebrations, highlighting Black resilience and Black joy. It was then that my eye shifted to documenting our superpowers, the ability to find joy and community despite the forces that seek to tarnish and eradicate our existence.
www.fokus.org | 67
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
68 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 69
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
70 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
www.fokus.org | 71
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
Sade is a Nigerian-American photographer based in NYC. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York but frequently travels worldwide with her lens, highlighting and documenting the unique stories of diverse communities and cultures. visualsbysade.com 72 | www.fokus.org
INSIGHT: Imagined Future
I envision a world where Black people can rejoice without reproach, exist without reproach, speak out against injustice without reproach, and nourish our younger ones without reproach. Maybe that world can only exist if we as Black people and Africans across the diaspora create our own world. Maybe.
www.fokus.org | 73
Thank you for reading and supporting the arts and artists. View previous issues at www.fokus.org/insight
