“Freedom Song in america,” fabric and canvas, 20″x20″ (from the artist)
Sometimes art is motivational.
Sometimes, it is instructional.
Sometimes, it is flamboyant.
And, sometimes . . . it is prophetic.
Exhibit A of the prophetic nature of modernist art is textile artist Karen E. Griffin’s self-curated and implemented installation, “Red, Black and Green in honor and memory of the Afro-American Flag, August 13, 1920,” at the Englewood Arts Center in Independence.
“This 13-piece series was implemented, inspired and installed due to the motivation of the Afro-American Flag designed and presented by Marcus Garvey,” Griffin states. “The tricolor fabrics and 1/2- inch seams create a visual excursion from Africa to America within the unknown sea and unseen voyage. The curtain rods and red fishing wire depict ancestors supporting the collection with the intent to deliver an educational and historical conversation one seam at a time. In the left-hand corner there is a white pearl placed which marks the end and the beginning of a new piece.”
A performing educator and storyteller, Griffin is a master at teaching through fabric. Her works resonate with a directness and confidence that make sure each creation is neither overdone nor underdeveloped. “I weave narratives through the artistry of fabric and performance,” she states. “My creative process is an innovative alchemy, transforming materials into narratives that engage the senses and intellect alike.”
Her process relies heavily on authenticity and cultural integrity. The reflectiveness of her artistic practice is evident in the range of materials she uses and how seamlessly she merges them. “My artworks, be they art quilts, abstracts or panels, are intricate tapestries featuring musical notes, adinkra symbols, feathers, beads, and diverse prints and patterns on mediums like denim and 2D surfaces. These pieces are crafted from paper, traditional African or cotton fabrics, all set against backdrops of canvas or wood panel,” she states.
In the past four years, Griffin has established herself within Kansas City’s art consciousness by participating in 25 group exhibitions as well as more than 14 solo exhibitions. She has presented workshops throughout the city and in Mexico and Australia as well.
A mother, and grandmother and certified international tour manager, Griffin presents us with a body of work that evokes notions of painter and printmaker Barbara Jones-Hogu, a founding member of the African Commune of Bad Relevant Artists (AfriCOBRA).
“RGB came from Africa,” a 38” x 29” fabric work, juxtaposes a green fabric applique in the shape of Africa against a black background. A network of red lines compartmentalizes the green field to, the artist says, “present a statement on Africa’s cultural and sociopolitical diversity as well as its unbreakable spirit, even in the face of divisionary forces.”
The title “RGB came from Africa” references the RGB (Red Green Blue) color model which was developed by Thomas Young and Hermann von Helmholtz in the early to mid-19th century based on James Clerk Maxwell’s color triangle. When slightly turned, either clockwise or counterclockwise, it resembles the triangular trade routes used during the Middle Passage to transport slaves through the Caribbean and into the States. Supplanting the blue of the sea with black, Griffin effectively reinvents the acronym as a symbol of Black empowerment.
“Bleeding on the SHYP,” a 20” x 20” fabric and canvas work, superimposes two linear shapes, one green and one black, on a sea of red. Creases in the red fabric keep the work from feeling endless, and the superimposed black and green shapes are sharply angular. The artist effectively uses asymmetry and proportion to ask the question “What is bleeding here and why?”
Another standout work, the joyously complex “Freedom Song in america,” seems to pull the viewer into a tunnel of shapes, leading and pointing to a destination. This almost violent interaction of shapes calls to mind Faith Ringgold’s 1967 epic “American People Series #20: Die.”
Once again, Griffin brings together her compositional skills, sense of storytelling, richly layered narratives, and a sense of joy, despite all else in her work. This exhibition is well worth seeing.
“Karen E. Griffin: Red, Black and Green” continues at Englewood Arts Center, 10901 E. Winner Rd., Independence, through Oct. 12. Hours are 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday-Friday and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. For more information, 816.379.6011 or www.englewoodarts.art.
