“I see my work as reaching again by historical past, creating a visible dialog with the usually forgotten topics of so many elderly pictures. A lot of what we learn about historical past is informed by a one dimensional lens. I purpose to present my characters depth, spirituality, and a brand new type of legacy— one which was typically denied them in their very own time.” -Stan Squirewell
59x44x2 inches.
The one factor as dynamic and multifaceted as Stan Squirewell’s remixed portraits is the artist himself. The Harlem native is on a lifelong exploration of his craft, initially finding out portray in class after which carving out a mode uniquely his personal. Beginning with archival pictures from the 1900s that includes Black and mixed-race folks, Squirewell then makes use of varied methods to create identities for these nameless unique figures. Squirewell brings new life to those that have in any other case been forged apart by collage, burning, scraping, ripping, and extra.
Squirewell has a newly launched solo present on the Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem entitled “We Communicate In Rivers.” The exhibition options 15 works and can be on view by January 13, 2024. To have a good time this achievement, I lately had the enjoyment of talking with Squirewell immediately about his creative apply, the event of his distinct model, and his grandfather’s eyes. Our dialog is under.
(This dialog has been edited and condensed for readability and size.)
How did you develop this creative course of and magnificence that’s so uniquely yours?
The method itself got here from all the things I’ve performed, experimenting right here, enjoying round with that—simply years and years of doing issues, trial and error.
I’ve all the time liked combined media. From the second I went to arts highschool, I loved mixing issues up. I by no means needed to do one medium as a result of I’d get bored. So, if it was only a drawing, I needed so as to add one thing else to it to raise it and make it totally different. Mixing issues has all the time been part of my apply, whilst a toddler.
This specific course of proper right here helps me do some of the entire issues that I like doing. The drawing facet of issues, drafting issues out, portray, reducing and burning photographs and layering them on high of one another, scraping away photographs, and including new stuff on high of that.
I by no means know what’s going to go the place. I don’t know what’s gonna occur. It’s like enjoying within the sandbox; each time I dig into one thing, I discover one thing nice. I even amaze myself.
Stan Squirewell
[Experimenting and layering] additionally retains up with my thought course of as a result of I can simply change my thoughts with one thing. Coping with collage, if I lay one factor down and I don’t essentially look after that, I can lay one thing else excessive of it or paint one thing in there and fully rework all the picture. I’ve performed that to some items; I’ve reworked them 10, 15, 20 occasions till I bought what I actually needed.
I’m all the time amassing photographs, reducing and burning them, and having my assistant bag issues up in line with the colour or if it’s a masculine or feminine-looking cloth or something like that. I’ve baggage of hundreds upon hundreds of items of burnt paper, and I by no means know what’s going to go the place. I don’t know what’s gonna occur. It’s like enjoying within the sandbox; each time I dig into one thing, I discover one thing nice. I even amaze myself.
How are you aware when a bit is full and you’ll step away?
I simply really feel happy. I’m like, Ooh, that’s it! I bought it. I don’t must do something extra. The piece requires nothing extra of me. That’s after I’m performed. As a result of if I overthink it, [the piece] will change into overworked. The work is already multi-layered, so, in a way, overworking it’s the aesthetic. However there’s all the time a stability between the sharpness of issues I’m printing and the blurriness of the images and the backgrounds. I’m all the time interested in discovering what extra this aesthetic can lend itself to.
I’m all the time intrigued by the facet of really bringing forth issues from the previous.
Stan Squirewell
In terms of the images you’re manipulating, the place do you discover them? And why do you select the photographs that you simply do? What’s it a few specific photograph that may converse to you?
I see one thing acquainted in them. I see household of their faces. Generally, the picture strikes me. I say, This can be a very putting particular person, and I need to work with it. Or it’s the composition. I typically discover low-res photographs that aren’t very prime quality, which lend themselves to me with the ability to paint in them to carry out that further element. These paperwork are a whole bunch of years previous, so my paintbrush can go in and add magic to them once more and convey life again to them once more. I’m all the time intrigued by the facet of really bringing forth issues from the previous.
I get photographs from everywhere. Individuals ship me photographs now. They’re like, Oh, my God, I believe you prefer to this! And so they’re normally proper! I additionally get them from household albums, property gross sales, archives, and on-line; there are photographs everywhere. However discovering the suitable ones that basically resonate with me takes time. I’ve to check myself doing them. And as soon as I get that go-ahead, that that is the one, that’s when the method begins. There are various that I’ve began and didn’t really feel the vitality in them, and I left them alone. However the ones that make it are those that selected me, in a approach. It’s a shared course of. I consider that the spirit of the person within the {photograph} speaks to me. They actually do. It’s a very non secular course of. It’s a really acquainted, ceremonial course of.
Proper: Lil Clyde & Nyals; Minimize {photograph} collage, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban body, 2023; 28×22 inches.
It’s such as you’re constructing a relationship between your self and these individuals who, in a single facet, are lengthy gone however, in one other sense, are being saved very a lot alive by you.
Effectively, see, right here’s the factor: I see the identical faces. They haven’t gone wherever. They’re not gone. These people could also be gone, however their offspring, their descendants, are very a lot nonetheless right here. As they are saying, “vitality is neither created nor destroyed.” It’s only a cyclical factor. We see the identical faces technology after technology after technology; it’s simply wonderful.
Comic story: My maternal granddad is from Barbados, and he had eyes that will change colours in line with the season. So one second, they’d be inexperienced; the following, they had been mild grey; the following season, they’d be mild brown. And all people’s ready to see whose youngster will get these eyes! To date, 13 grandbabies, and no one’s bought ‘em but. We’re ready to see when Grandpa’s coming again.
Proper: Bunny; Minimize {photograph} collage, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban body, 2023 18×16 inches.
Are you able to inform me extra in regards to the body carving course of you’ve integrated into your apply?
It’s a Japanese burning course of referred to as shou sugi ban. It makes the woodgrain come out, nevertheless it additionally wards off bugs within the technique of carbonizing it. Bugs don’t like that char. So, it preserves the wooden, and I discover it a really stunning course of.
That a part of my apply can be a part of the ceremonial facet of my work. As each a part of the collage burns, it represents issues we have no idea however are very a lot felt. We will really feel it, however we could not be capable to understand it or clarify it in a literal context. We simply know. Sure issues are instinctual. It will not be obvious to us, however it is rather a lot in us.
I get pleasure from being in an area of figuring out sure issues which are simply innately there; they’re innately with us. Identical to histories. Like with our ancestors. We all know them as a result of we have a look at them daily; you see them each time you look within the mirror. Hundreds of thousands upon tens of millions of your ancestors culminating into you. Each single cell in your physique may very well be consultant of an ancestor. With the burning course of, issues go up in smoke like a spirit. [The spirit] remains to be oddly current; it’s nonetheless within the air. It’s nonetheless within the ether. The spirit remains to be with us.
Proper: Meli & Maude; Minimize {photograph} collage, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban body; 2023 16×11 inches.
Featured banner photographs:
Left: Aponi & Halona; Minimize {photograph} collage, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban body, 2023; 58×48 inches.
Middle: Junie; Minimize {photograph} collage, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban body, 2023; 39x20x2 inches.
Proper: Mrs. Johnson’s Sunday Greatest; Blended media collage, paint, hand-carved shou sugi ban body, 2023; 68x68x2 inches.
