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by Keith Ramsey
2 0 1 2 C ATA L O G U E
REPRESENTED BY CLARKE ART CONSULTING
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Diluted Loss illustrates the racism and discrimination that was directed toward African-American troops in World War II, both from the United States military as well as Japanese and European troops. The series is mixed media, and was created using organic materials, acrylic and oil paint, snips of news articles and letters from soldiers, and other charred symbols of American liberty. The artist describes the series as “not a pretty picture, but an important one”. Ramsey considers himself to be a documentarian, charged to present the overlooked, historical accounts of AfricanAmerican soldiers through art.
ARTIST STATEMENT In the mid-’90s, when I was starting out, I worked a great deal in isolation. For a time, it was basically me and my cat and my art, and that time was all about being me as my art. It wasn’t about being a black artist, it wasn’t about being Keith, but just being me as myself, as I saw myself within my world. Around the time of Sept. 11th, my work became more political. I began to question what I was doing—should I even be doing this? Is this too harsh right now? But I realized artists have to do that kind of work. We’re the documentarians of history. Without picking up a book, people respond more to pictures and images than they do texts on a page. “Diluted Loss” is a series of work that deals with black soldiers in World War II. I started on this series because it bothered me that publications, movies, and documentaries about World War II said little or nothing about the struggles and heroism of black soldiers. I knew were there—I have pictures of family members in uniform. A real turning point came when I saw a documentary called “The Color of War.” I felt the title was misleading because it was about the war in color, not about black soldiers. At that point, I felt outrage, and I felt driven to tell their story through art. The fact is African-American soldiers have been successful in battle—for instance the Tuskegee Airmen or the 761st Tank battalion. Those guys were told you can’t do this, you’re not capable of being a good soldier, but they exploded that myth and did the job efficiently and without complaint. But at the same time they were fighting for America; America didn’t care. Their thank you was to come home, no longer part of that war and no different from when they left. That’s a big dishonor. It’s not a pretty picture, what I paint, but it’s an important one, I think. That’s what I want “Diluted Loss” to be about. It needs to be about a historical value that people.
ARTIST BIO Keith M. Ramsey grew up in Williamsburg, Virginia. The son of an artist, he developed an early affinity for the works of Edward Hopper. Since receiving his Degree in Fine Arts from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1998, he has been working steadily toward his artistic vision of images on canvas, wood panel and paper. Download the Tag app at http://gettag.mobi and scan this Tag. Watch interview of artist Keith Ramsey.
He has four bodies of work: “Cityscapes in Noir,” a series of political works, a series of Noir Drawings, and “Diluted Loss.” His images are created from influences of experience, introspective thought and political perspective. By using shadow, light, and color, the artwork attempts to draw the viewer to envision themselves within the paintings before them. He also works in photography, and graphic art and design professionally.
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(Title Piece) 2003, mixed media 25 1/2 in x 53 in Keith Ramsey The title piece of the series encompasses all of the adversities African-American soldiers faced during WWII. The noose attached to the piece is a symbol of the practices and tactics used to weaken the mind and body of an African-American soldier in an attempt to prove they could never defend America as well as a white soldier.
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I WANT YOU: THE UNWANTED
2003, mixed media 26 in x 32 3/4 in Keith Ramsey
Here multiple images of the famous Uncle Sam “I Want You” icon, commonly used to recruit soldiers for war, are placed at the center. Below stands alone soldier, representing the fact that America needed the skill and talent of the African-American soldiers who, before WWII, were classified as “unfit for combat” and restricted to desk jobs. In 1944, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, faced with the advancement of Hitler’s army on the Western front, temporarily desegregated the military and called for African-Americans to volunteer for war to replace the killed white soldiers. Over a million African-Americans answered Eisenhower’s call despite the discrimination they faced from American military throughout their service.
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SILENTLY FIGHTING DUAL IMAGES OF OPPOSING ENEMIES
2003, mixed media 35 1/2 in x 23 1/2 in Keith Ramsey
The Pittsburgh Courier, the country’s most widely circulated African-American newspaper during WWII, mounted the “Double V Campaign,” whose theme was victory over the Axis powers abroad and victory over Jim Crow at home. Racism at home blurred the line for some soldiers between the Nazis and white American soldiers. African-Americans perceived both as enemies, and found it difficult to understand who should be distrusted more. “Silently Fighting Dual Images” presents symbols of these twin enemies of African-American soldiers: a Nazi shield and the American flag placed over the eyes of a soldier, showing how he had to keep one eye on each enemy.
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LOOKING IN FROM BEHIND THE COLOR WALL 2003, mixed media 35 1/2 in x 23 1/2 in Keith Ramsey
This piece shows an excerpt from an AfricanAmerican’s soldier’s letter to someone by the name of “Yank.” He tells of how Nazi soldiers are able to enjoy a meal, a cigarette, and a joke or two in the mess hall, while the African-American troops have to eat in the kitchen or outside behind the hall. The letter asks why their country is treating them worse than the enemy. What are they fighting for? Under the American flag in the center of the painting is a Nazi swastika. Looking in from behind the color wall are the eyes of members of Ramsey’s family who served in the US Army.
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PRAISES FOR THE AMERICAN SOLDIER
2003, mixed media 25 1/2 in x 42 1/2 in Keith Ramsey
This piece shows a long rambling statement comprised of phrases used to welcome an American soldier home from the war: “They fought and died for the freedom of all Americans,” “These men earned a place of honor in the hearts and minds of all Americans.” Alongside these phrases are the weary eyes of an unknown African-American soldier. The images of the broken and burned flag and hanging nooses in the background convey the broken promises and dispelled “American Dreams” of these soldiers who, despite their heroism, were not recognized for their success. No African-American soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor, for instance.
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WELKKKOME HOME
2003, mixed media 26 in x 32 3/4 in Keith Ramsey
A society segregated under Jim Crow meant a welcome home for the African-American soldiers included beatings or lynchings in some American cities and towns. The Ku Klux Klan was known to attack and terrorize returning soldiers to keep them “in their place.” In this piece, the image of white children looking up and smiling came from a photograph of a lynched black man. In the center of the piece is a cross, and nailed to the cross is an article that reported the murder of an African-American soldier recently returned from the war. He had been killed as he attempted to register to vote. The article goes on to quote a public official stating that, “no black will get to vote in their country’s primary”.
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HISTORY HATE HEARTACHE
2009, mixed media 22 in x 50 in Keith Ramsey
This piece features images of modern day rap icons, framed by images of African-American soldiers, along with quotes by Prime Minister Winston Churchill and Thomas Nelson Page. The work hangs from a noose and chains. The images and symbols represent the past, present and the possible future of African-American heroes. The viewer is encouraged to study the soldier’s expressions, contrast to the imagery of today’s African-American idols, to find their own meaning in the work.
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ATTACK ON TWO FRONTS
2010, mixed media 23 in x 33.75 in Keith Ramsey In the middle of war zones, AfricanAmerican soldiers were forced to combat the enemy while at the same time fighting racism from American ranks. This work depicts the mind-set of African-American soldiers in the middle of two battles, armed and ready to fight the enemy or fight their comrad-in-arms.
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CAPT. JIM CROW.... 2011, mixed media 41 in x 26.5 in Keith Ramsey
Upon their return home, African-American soldiers began a new battle when faced with bigotry, inequality and violence of Jim Crow. Despite their honorable efforts to defend their country during war, many Americans’ prejudices would not allow them to view the returning soldiers as heroes like their White counterparts. Instead, they forced segregation and denied them their civil rights. The lines of text alongside red, white and blue images of brutality represent a much different depiction of the American flag, displaying a time when liberty and justice for all was nonexistent.
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THE MISSED KISS 2011, mixed media 49 in x 21 1/2 in Keith Ramsey
When African-American soldiers returned home after war, their lives were suppressed by Jim Crow practices. They did not receive a celebratory arrival like their White counterparts, instead they were oppressed and continued to feel less than an American. This work portrays the distinct differences of arrivals between AfricanAmerican and White soldiers. White soldiers were greeted with parades, hugs and kisses; while African America soldiers were greeted with prejudices that forced them back in the trenches.
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UNTITLED: TIME 2011, mixed media 21.5 in x 14.5 in Keith Ramsey
World War II officially ended September 2, 1945, but African-American’s war on civil rights and equality continued for decades. In this work, the stopped clocks represent the end of war, while the text informs the viewers of the continued mistreatment of African-American soldiers well after 1945.
LOSS
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Keith Ramsey
2 0 1 2 C ATA L O G U E
Contact Tracy Baylor Principal Consultant/Art Dealer email: tbaylor@clarkeartconsulting.com Clarke Art Consulting P.O. Box 4092 Glen Allen, VA 23058 (804) 908-1210 www.clarkeartconsulting.com