Angel Ayes and Quwwa discuss Bill Cosby/Cliff Huxtable Ebony Magazine cover.

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My First Artwalk and the Liberty and Justice FOR ALL Exhibit

 This past weekend was filled with more excitement and enthusiasm from a creative perspective than I have witnessed in few years. Why do I say that, you may ask? Well let me tell you. The last time I participated in an art exhibit was almost 2 years ago, when I presented a piece to a gallery located downtown called The Art Hotel Collective. The reception was positive, and I met some cool artists down there. Well due to unforseen circumstances, the gallery moved to the Valley View Mall located in North Dallas, and the gallery became The SLANT Gallery Collective.  It's a much broader layout, and they're able to exhibit more work, including their own, like this cool piece here.

 This piece came from a young local artist Madelyn Sneed, who had an exhibitt with some wonderful paintings inspired by a trip to France. Great oil paintings!










However it is the following exhibit that delighted me, because 1) it deals with something close to my heart, that being social commentary. For the months of May and June The SLANT Gallery will hold an exhibit entitled Liberty and Justice FOR ALL...This one was right up my alley, although I must say I didn't expect my entry to be accepted. Over the past couple of years I experienced so many dry spells, rejections, illnesses and personal issues that I had developed an attitude where my art was only to keep what little personal sanity that I may have. Lack of funds, resources, and the inability to find gainful employment kept me down. Not to mention offers to hold an art workshop at my library somehow fell through the cracks. After submitting proposals and stuff, and watching other programs become approved, as well as getting paid for those programs, I began to become completely despondent, and my art suffered greatly. My spirits had reached a critical low, and depression set in, followed by anxiety. This is not something I would wish on anybody.

When I submitted the pieces the previous weekend, I awaited for the response, which was supposed to have been before midnight Sunday May 3rd. I woke up the next day, didn't see any response, and chalked it up as another loss. However lo and behold, that notification came later in the day, and my picture Pariah: Apocalyptic Now was chosen to be displayed at the exhibit. The exhibit deals with all of the plights of different sectors of people and what they experience in the US, however there is an international flavor added to the exhibit as well. I did not get a pic of all of the pieces, nor did I get the names of the artists and the pieces for everyone, but since the exhibit will be shown during the month of June also, it gives me a chance to collect more for the next blog. 

       
                                                                                          

    This piece was on the exhibit poster, and the artist Karen Jacobi gave me a heads up on the construction of this piece. 

 This piece talks about the Arab Spring. I wanted to meet the artist, Seun Karim, but did not get a chance to. Hopefully next time around.

This was another one of my favorites, commenting on Mexican immigrants. 

This is Pariah: Apocalyptic Now, the piece that I entered into the exhibit, which by the way won rave reviews from many of the visitors, including the proprietor from the SMALL Gallery, which is right across from the SLANT Gallery. They had a similar exhibit, being that they are like a sister gallery to the SLANT Gallery. She has informed me that there will be an exhibition in the upcoming months, and would like to see me submit an entry there as well. 

The SMALL Gallery had an exhibition entitled Listen To The Songs of the Times, and had some marvellous presentations there as well. I plan to get more pics and info on this showing in next month's artwalk as well.

The only odd event that happened that day occurred while riding the bus to the gallery, and noticing the lady on the other side of the bus actually doodling me! Now that was AWKWARD as HECK! I'm not a photogenic type of guy, nor do I consider myself the type that could be an actual study. So, modesty and anxiety kicked in, and I turned my head toward the window so she couldn't continue...Not trying to be difficult, because I'm a chatty person, but that's gonna take some time to get used to....Anyway, till next time....Take care...

Still At It....

Peace all, been under the weather the past few weeks, trying to get back to normal health. Working on some projects as well...In the meantime check out this sad video of giving a 17 year old 35 years for credit card fraud. Utterly speechless.

Post by Mass Incarceration Must Stop NOW.

Davey D's Interview with the Late Gary Webb on CIA, Contras and Crack

Peace all ... under the weather, but still at work...check out this blog by Davey D...Hope to be back SOON!

http://hiphopandpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/the-cia-contras-and-crack-the-first-radio-intv-w-the-late-garry-webb/

The Power of One Piece

 Peace! I haven't forgotten anyone at all, I thought I would go right into blogging and editing the video for the Red Tails tribute that was given at my local library. It was a great event to say the least, the audience fully enjoyed the whole shabang, and I was able to exhibit my community artwork. I also met some locals who didn't know I existed, but then again there are many who don't know me in my neck of the woods. But in addition to the exhibit, my picture along with my artwork was put in the community newspaper(oh boy, I hate photographs) and I was able to present a piece that really made everybody's day. Sgt. Hogues and family could not get over the appreciation and the effort that was put into it, and I have to thank Ms. Almetta Russell, who really worked hard to get this off the ground, as well as the staff at the Highland Hills Library for their support. I have already informed them of my plans for another exhibit soon.

The event was really about Sgt. Hogues in the first place, but I got the wrong impression. I spent  days before the event telling everyone that it was also an exhibit, even though the fliers did not speak of such. I realize now the event was a community affair in his honor, and I am privileged to have shown my work at such a prestigious function. However the one piece dedicated to Sgt. Hogues of the Tuskegee Airmen stole the show, although it was not my intention.


Very few people knew about the painting. Ms. Russell informed me a few weeks going into the event that she would like to give something to him as a token of respect and appreciation for what he and the rest of the Tuskegee Airmen accomplished, especially in the face of such blatant racism, such racism that a lot of Americans believed did not exist anymore until Trayvon Martin, although some of us were telling people that the menace was still present...I won't mention names here, it's not important. I didn't show anyone the piece until a couple of hours before the event. Everyone was blown away by it, even the neighbors as I walked to the library. One elderly gentlemen quipped, "You never know what a person can do...." But he's right. Only a few in my area knew what I was capable of.

But the effect that it had on the community, the Hogues family, and me as well proves of the powerful impact that visual art can have on any society. This community has suffered and still suffers from a serious identity crisis, no one could define any landmarks or any notable presence except former basketball player Spud Webb of the NBA, but that's typical of the hood.

 Barbara Hogues, daughter of Staff Sgt. Hogues explained during the event that the family was not aware of his involvement of the Tuskegee Airmen until 2008, and he didn't receive his Congressional Medal of Honor  until 2009 from the same airport that denied him a job shortly after retiring from the military, telling him the only thing he could do was custodian work. This was AFTER the success the Tuskegee Airmen in World War II. We still have a long way to go before Blacks get serious respect here in America, especially with Trayvon Martin continually haunting America, but now Black youth, as well as White youth should realize all of those slavery stories and stories of racism and domestic terrorism still have impact, because it never left....

Overall I felt it was a victory for a small area that no one cared to remember, except in a negative light, but now we have history as well as culture to bring to the table.


May God Help Us... Peace....

Like......WHOA!!!!

Peace all....

OK, before everyone jumps on me all at once, my sincerest apologies for the lack of blogging during the month of February, things went off course, I mean in a good way that is, but what's in store was not expected in the least.

For starters the Grey Matters exhibit...It's still on, but let me tell ya, after reading an awesome book this past February entitled Slavery By Another Name by Douglas A. Blackmon, and watching Roots and The Next Generation Miniseries over and over and over again, I saw and read things that made me say like....WHOA!!! I was forced to think twice before rushing to put out a half done exhibit, ya know? I mean I was knocked flat by the things this book alluded to that was not clearly shown or explained in Roots: The Next Generation.

The book goes into details in what was known in some circles as "The Black Codes". These were some of the most bogus laws ever drempt up, mainly intended to put Blacks back into another form of slavery. I came across this issue years back, but this book put it into clearer perspective. The author, who found out that some of his distant ancestors somehow benefitted from this rehashed form of slavery, wrote this book which focuses on one individual, but goes into detail about what happened to thousands of Blacks after the Civil War. Horrible deaths, sexual perversion and all types of crimes of humanity went without a hitch, and scores of convict graves have surfaced. The author also has planned to show a documentary on PBS this year, and you know me...I had to get the book if it was available, and whoop! THERE IT WAS!

Anyway, the story goes that after the "Emancipation Proclamation" many southern states sought other ways to enslave Blacks. They would concoct some of the most ridiculous reasons to arrest Blacks such as forbidding sharecroppers from selling their produce as night, so called vagrancy laws, talking loud in public or speaking disrespectfully in the presence of White women...oh boy...Then the person was taken to court and slapped with fines ranging from paying the arresting officer court fees and the like. Now of course the person did not have the money to pay it, so White plantation owners, or other corporations like the mineries and so forth would claim to pay the fines, in exchange for the "convict" to work off the fine in either their plantations, coalmines, railroads etc. There they were subjected to extremes that make the antebellum slavery look good. Many companies profitted big time from forced labor, and the companies, arresting officers and the neo-slaveowners got away virtually without a scratch.

Many Blacks had no idea of the convict-leasing system that went on in America, they were given the idea that the people broke the law, and so they deserved what they got. Just like today with the prison-industrial complex. Corporate media has skewered things so much as well as government propaganda, to where Americans actually believe those who enter the prisons deserve it, especially Blacks.

In a nutshell, I felt I could not just throw up an exhibit after reading such great books, which shed much light on this subject and the ongoing subject of racism and slavery in America...It ain't over folks. I mean this is not the only reason, because I am reading other books as well that's expanding my scope.

In addition I have some other things on tap that I hope to explain in my next blog, so don't worry folks, no more string of Youtube videos for a while, ok?



Take care....CWATIC @ www.realquwwa.com

A Full Slate...(Grey Matters)

Peace all...

OK I promised that I would hit you with the good, bad and the ugly, but all I delivered was the bad, so let's deal with some good, shall we?

The Back and Forth exhibit that was planned to be shown during February is being altered as we speak. For starters the name will be changed to Grey Matters because I'm wanting to do this exhibit in a particular fashion, but still keep the content about racial matters in America and throughout the world, but I felt Black History Month would not be appropriate for it, due to the subject matter which goes against what most people think Black History Month is all about, which is remembering the events that happened yesteryear, mainly focusing on either issues of civil rights, or the recent "achievements" made by Blacks in America. This focus kinda clouds the realities that continue to go on in America as well as on a global scale. It's one thing for others outside the community to shy away from what's really going on, but when one is on the receiving end of such atrocities that existed even in the civil rights era, their denial or refusal to confront the issues are really the true detriment to the achievement of human rights and equality. Take for instance Dallas' first Black mayor is now noted for his work with the UN in brokering "trade agreements" in the Phillipines. One must ask oneself a number of questions like why would a person whose ancestors may have been slaves themselves take part in the re-enslavement of people of color? Issues like this puts a major stain in Black History Month, forcing us to begin to ask questions about civil rights, affirmative action and so-forth. What is it really all about? We still see blatant racism in this so called "colorblind society" and now we see a covert war in our midst.

So with that in mind among other issues, I felt I could not project the exhibit in a fashion that I thought people could benefit from and begin to move forward.

Anyway I received good news from the librarian that she will be exhibiting African American Art during this month anyway, so I am in the process of hitting up a few pieces to sorta "make way for the real thing".

In addition to this ya boy Q is working on some videos to add to the repetoire, and I got my airbrush back too, so mixed media, here I come!!!!



More later, God Willing...CWATIC

Enough Already 2

Peace All,

I would like to thank anyone who listened to my show last Thursday night on the Coach K and Angel Show, it was truly a blast! I am humbled by the response and the comments, and I thank God(Allah) for the opportunity. But that takes second stage here for the moment.

January 16th I posted a blog entitled Enough Already, which started as a diatribe on my job, but easily meshed into an attack on how governments used the same tactics to get what they want, taking liberties, invading much privacy and introducing laws designed to "get rid of extremists" but in reality it is to produce a police state designed by evil people to enslave the masses.

Here is a result of what happens when peoples' prejudices run rampant, and fear of something they know nothing about takes over instead of seeking knowledge. A man is now dead and his earthly reputation has been demolished by ignorants who wish to keep the status quo going. What happens when the country they worship and try to protect comes down on them?

Thanks to my brother and FB friend Fateen Abdullah-Pickett who sent this clip. By the way here is something I've been meaning to ask. Why is it that arrests of suspected terrorists and raids on so called extremists organizations are only relegated to local newscasts but the national media broadcasts just the scare? If there was a war on terror, wouldn't you like to know the score?

God help us.....

A Word of Thanks!!!

Peace everyone,

I have a new blog on the way, so stay tuned. In the meantime I want to send a special thanks to all of those who listened, commented, or even had the intention of listening to the show Thursday night. It is an unforgettable event, and after God I have you all to thank. It was full of surprises even up to the time of going on the air. I was informed by the host, the very-talented Tania-Maria Xavier of ColoredPeople.Net that the show was chosen as one of the day's top picks out of all of Blogtalkradio shows going on that day. I don't really know to say except thank you all.

I'll write more later, but don't forget you can listen to the show at anytime, just click on the post with Quwwa Davis. And don't forget the instructions of how to register to win an original pastel painting entitled Safe and Sound are included in the show, the only thing I will say is the deadline is July 10, 2009.




I love you all, and thank you from the bottom of my heart. We have only begun.

With much love....Quwwa ( BOO YAH!!!)

Can't Run.....So DON'T!!!

Peace Y'all

Yo Quwwa, what's up? You look pizzissed! I am. How pissed? We'll as Comedian Robin Harris used to say, pissed to the highest of pisstivity(lol)!

Tell me bout it.

Okay. Recently I was invited to another Ning site that was created from someone that was a friend on my Iseecolor site. I thought to myself that this was another opportunity to expose my art and get my voice out there. The person had commented on my blogs and gave me the impression that they dug my steelo.

Well last night I decided to get to work on my page, and posted one picture I entitled Down N Out. No sooner as I posted the picture, I received an email from this person telling me to "keep it positive". Now I can admit I can be of one who jump to conclusions(after all I am human) but it bugs me that people's first impression of my work is "depressing" as if I'm trying to dampen people's spirits or something. I guess people are really falling for this "change you can believe in" jazz.



For the record, my work is a simple reminder of those who fell through the cracks of this life, filled with materialism, and the enticing of the base desires of the human being. One should not be so obsessed with obtaining all the toys in this life, for death is imminent. One should strive for that which pleases God. We all know(or should know) that for most of us this life is filled with tests, hardships and pain. I have experienced this in a concentrated form for the past 7 years, but through it all(thank God) I feel that I have perservered.

In January one my Ning sites asked a question about the impact of having a "black president" would bring. Most of the responses from Blacks were that of "it gives the world a chance to see that we can be CEO's of Fortune 500 companies and big businesses" in other words, we get a chance to show America that we are not all "thugs and welfare queens" and such.

I don't have to prove anything to this world about my worth as a God created human being. I have nothing to prove to anyone except myself. That I would take the talents He(Al-Khaliq) has given me and use my voice for His bidding.

It is with that in mind that I focus alot of my work on downtrodden and oppressed people. While we sit and idolize the Fortune 500 companies, we simply turn our heads and ignore the Unfortunate Millions that are victims of this Criminal Economy and these Global Gangsters. I try to illuminate them. Give them the honor they deserve.

Through negativity one should try to strive for that which is "positive" but the key here is what is one's definition of positive? I don't believe the love of money is the root of all evil, but I don't believe that having alot of money is "positive" either, especially when those who possess it are bombarded with personal problems that money cannot cure. Take a look at your favorite entertainer, sports personality, or politician and see what I mean.

I try to maintain a balance where alot of people wish to "escape" that which is apparent. I don't mind painting landscapes, still life and such, but in the end, what have I done if that's all that I paint? No offense to those who paint these objects at all.

Let us begin to face our problems head on, whether personal, social or spiritual. I guarantee you the feeling of liberation is great. Beside I have never heard of a toeache or a toothache going away by ignoring it, have you?

Take care everybody...LUV YA!!

What is Lifestyles Of The Ignored?

Peace everybody.

It's 7:01p, and normally I don't blog on workdays because I fear one day my work mode will spill over into my other mode. But a few good leads have come my way in regards to my artwork and the project as a whole, so right now I am more prone to look at things as a positive. I was thinking this morning of how close I came to chuckin' it all in just last week, then The Assistance came. It's just a beginning, but everything on Earth started somehow, somewhere right?

Anyway I figured I would give everyone a brief glimpse of my project. The title of this particular project is called Lifestyles of the Ignored, and it is more than just the homeless, although the spark came from a picture of two homeless people. The idea just came to me, I was at work Thanksgiving 2006 with nothing to do. My department, which was dispatch, was virtually on call for the day. So seeing that I would be like Little Jack Horner, sitting in the corner with nothing to do, I told my acting supervisor that I will bring my pencil and sketch pad to work. She said "fine". She was one of those types that was proud of her hippieness(lol), but we became great friends before I left the job in April 2007. She also has one of my prize pictures in her possession as well.

Moving on, as I sat in a secluded area with nothing but my computer and some food in front of me I whipped out the pen and pad and went to work. The picture above was the end result.

I was very reluctant to show the picture, an example of my extreme shyness, but I braved it out and tacked the picture onto my cubicle. Then one young lady walked up to my cubicle and commented on the picture, and it took off from there. I went on a pastel binge, and since I was working around 10 to 11 hours a day anyway, I started smugglin' my stuff in the workplace and stashin' it in my desk. After 5:30p passed, it was on at my cubicle..

The real significance of this time period was that before that Thanksgiving evening, I had not touched a pastel, drawing utensil or paintbrush for 14 yrs. Yes 14 YEARS.... When I put away my artwork back in '92, I had no thought of going back to it. But my mom found out I was quitting, and asked for all of the remaining craft paint and dye I had stashed.

I guess it took a cause or something I felt passionately about to regenerate my interest. Before that time I was confined to doing portraits and stuff other people liked, but it was not my voice.

When I left the job, I had garnered the attention of even those people that I had antagonized. I had ticked them off by refusing to humiliate myself to some of the most Steppin Fetchit tactics to impose on a customer service representative. They hated my guts, but adored my work. So on my last day I wrote a long letter that promised my co employees that they will see a project entitled "The Forgotten". But a couple of things happened. One, the job banned lil' ol' me from entering the premises anymore, so I could not see my former co employees.

Second, after long spells of contemplating I came to the conclusion that poor people are not forgotten, but simply ignored. This government will always ignore the poor and downtrodden, regardless of whoever sleeps in the Master's bedroom of the White House. I will give Reagan some dap on the fact that he publicly expressed his dislike of poor people, while others smile and act as if they care.

I'll explain more later..... Take care.