Conversation with Artist Patrick 'Cloud Face' Burnham

Patrick Burnham, better known in the art continuum by the handle Cloud Face, is a Navajo/Hopi painter, musician, dancer, dj, producer and all around true expressionist.

Cloud Face

Much like the constant evolution of form and direction we see in a cloud making it's way across the sky, Cloud Face the artist, possesses the ability to enter an environment and enhance every aspect of his surroundings, shape shifting seamlessly through his crafts to create an inspiration that is comparable to a modern day renaissance man, now often known as the B-Boy . 

"A cloud, changing shape across the sky..."

Here is the conversation with Patrick 'Cloud Face' Burnham:

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All music featured on this podcast is from Cloud Face's own debut album Secrets of the Invisible.

The heart knows. Painting by Cloud Face

Painting by Cloud Face.

The 12th Letter. Painting by Cloudface

Hopi Girl. Painting by Cloud Face

More about the Artist: 

Cloud Face representing indigenous art crew XFRX

From live painting, to dance, from Dj'ing to teaching, from composing, to collaboration, Cloud Face represents community and the true definition of a B-Boy. Obsessing until he feels he understands each fundamental aspect of Hip Hop, he then adds each piece carefully to his tool bag, to be incorporated with elegance and jaw dropping precision visible in all of his work. Cloud Face has a new and visionary approach to surviving and thriving as an artist, proving, with his shear will and skill, the ability to maintain self sufficiency and to survive as an artist is possible. By using his hustle, learned at a young age from growing up in an artisan family, mixed with his self determination, and a hit of what I like to consider 'soul', Cloud Face stands out in a crowd, or actually he doesn't stand at all, he is too busy getting down to stand around, but if he is involved in a project you will take notice, his style requires our attention. Cloud Face is currently an active creator in the indigenous hip hop scene in New Mexico, incorporating whichever element necessary to create his artistic dialogue. Always in motion, as a cloud floating through the heavens, inspiring us all to keep creating.

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Conversation with Artist Jamison Chas Banks

Jamison Chas Banks in his film Cibola.

Jamison Chas Banks born in Kansas, USA, is a dual citizen of the Seneca-Cayuga Tribe, and the Cherokee Tribe of Oklahoma.

 "I have been an artist first and foremost since I first started thinking. I am also Native American. I live in this time, not in the past, I cannot make art that seeks to simulate my Native ancestors’ work or designs....I would characterize my work as ‘Attempting to clean an American turkey with a J. Edgar Hoover vacuum cleaner.’ I seek to subvert histories and ‘re-codex’ the American imperial sphere.”-Banks

The work of Jamison Chas Banks incorporates pop culture and indigenous iconography with military and political propaganda. He tackles intense historical tragedy with an urgency and irony that implores the viewer to focus in and think, to look deeper than what was taught, further than what we are told to hold as historical truths. Banks works in all mediums, and seems to use whatever tools necessary to convey his vision, from film to printmaking, from the canvas to massive mural work, there are no limits for this inspiring, activism based indigenous artist.

Here is the conversation with Jamison Chas Banks:

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End track featured on this podcast titled 'Fratres for Eight Cellos' by I Fiamminghi & Rudolf Werthen.

Red Scare, Blue Venom. Acrylic serigraph on paper. Edition of 60. Jamison Chas Banks, 2014

More about the Artist: 

Artist Jamison Chas Banks takes on symbols and turns them on their heads. He readily admits, “My art incorporates a multitude of symbols. In the end, everything can be maintained as a symbol. I often advance my own imagined personae into representing some other idea or thing, in that, the personae become symbols.” He goes on to assert that “symbols have continued to define and enrich cultures and traditions.” The Cherokee/Seneca artist exudes a certain optimism when he talks about what he perceives as a time of change: “We stand headstrong into a new arena of symbols and mythos, this is a time of renaissance and renewal. It’s safe to assume that Banks is a part of this “renaissance” and that his work is tinged with a subversive hue. He states plainly, with a hint of sarcasm, “I would characterize my work as ‘Attempting to clean a American turkey with a J. Edgar Hoover vacuum cleaner.’ I seek to subvert histories and ‘re-codex’ the American imperial sphere.

Also prevalent in Banks’ work is a military motif that is highly contemporary and relevant--- while acknowledging the tradition and importance of military service that span’s his family’s history. “Most men in my own family, have not only served in the military, but participated during active conflicts,” he explains. Yet, the paradoxical brilliance of his work comes through loud and clear: “patriotic fervor of World War II,” was preceded by harrowing boarding school experiences which literally tore families apart. 

When asked specifically what the word “tradition” conjures, Banks says without hesitation, “Tradition is a cycle of behavior or belief built up over generational lengths of time. Tradition can be seen as a colonial term, but so can ‘dog’ and ‘cat’ for that matter. I imagine now anything spoken in English can be seen as a colonial term. It’s a really loaded question because, I think, most art can be defined so differently, depending on who’s defining it. In my experience, there is nothing that can be absolute.”

-Barbara Ellen Sorensen, Tribal College Journal Vol. 25 No. 1 Fall

Follow Jamison Chas Banks on his blog.

Follow Banks' film work on Vimeo.

Conversation with Artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

Artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski, mural collaboration with Artist Rebekah Tarin in Penasco, NM. 

I am so proud to present a conversation with artist Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski. A passionate activist and visionary, DeJesus Moleski possesses a positive, humble and gracious presence that is whole and rare. Her work is refreshing and unique, inviting the observer to engage further, to look deeper, to feel the warmth in the the color palate, and to further explore the integration of the various mediums she chooses. DeJesus Moleski invites collaboration and conversation through her art, asking the viewer into a complex dialogue threaded through her work. Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski focuses on futuristic femme myth as it relates to marginalized communities.  She primarily works in 2-D media and performance, and is based out of Oakland, CA. In this conversation we are able to further understand DeJesus Moleski's inspirations and share her process, unfolding how she developed her ability to balance beauty and activated resistance in such a precise and elegant manner. 

Here is the conversation with Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski:

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Music featured on this podcast, listed in order of appearance: Sylvio Rodriguez, Angel Haze, Immortal Technique, EDIT ft. The Grouch, REG ft. Medusa, Fernanadindo, Alice Russell, and ending track 'Revolution' by J-Boogie's Dubtronic Science/Lyrics Born/Mamaz.

'Instructions for a Storm'. Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

More about the Artist:

Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski was born in France but spent her life moving around the East Coast, Down South, and Midwest of the US.   DeJesus-Moleski has received awards and honors in the areas of visual art including the ArtLA Student Artist of the Year, All College Honors, and is an Alumni of the AICAD New York studio residency program.  Her work explores the tensions between private tenderness and public defiance, specifically within communities that are typically depicted as stressed and vulnerable.  She has been working with organizations such as the Brown Boi Project, Strong Families, Third Root Health Center, and the Estria Foundation among others.  DeJesus-Moleski has exhibited work in New York, LA, and the Bay Area.  She is currently working on a solo show called Thick Dig, which focuses on futuristic femme myth as it relates to marginalized communities.  DeJesus-Moleski aims to practice the integration of multiple art forms as a way to make myth and tell the truth. She is an experienced muralist, performance poet, playwright, youth organizer, and visual artist. She is the co-founder (along with Cynthia Ruffin and Jessie Workman) of the B.R.E.A.T.H (Building a Revolution of Expression through Heartwork) program in Albuquerque, NM that teaches poetry and performance to incarcerated youth as a means to heal, resolve conflict, and uplift.  Amaryllis has dedicated her life’s work to stand with countless others in the movement that intersects the arts with activism, using creativity and expression as the tools necessary for community liberation, and the means by which we may all realize our most potent dreams.

Learn more about Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski on her website.

"Thick Dig (Ghost Sighting)". Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

"Weave (for spell)". Amaryllis DeJesus Moleski

Conversation with Artist Micah Wesley (The Werewulf)

Forgive Us Our Trespass, Pt. 2. Micah Wesley

Currently, there is a shift taking place in the work of Micah Wesley. If you look at Wesley's work over the past ten years, you know he has skill with the pen. His graphic work is precise and controlled. His content gives a perspective of the outsider, the underdog, it shows the stripped down truths that we tend to overlook. The humor in the pain, the hero in the ordinary, the Native in America. Wesley also has a handle to painting that not many artists can boast, able to really work in the simplest of medium and color to create an extensive palate and depth that is mind blowing. Yet currently, Wesley is focusing on discovering his work on a more conceptual level. 'White washing' over intricate lettering and dynamic forms and figures, leaving very little to the eye and forcing the viewer to imagine the story that has been covered. And the story has been washed over, many, many times, until the painting itself becomes a simple color swatch or 'buff', a byproduct of the process Wesley has gone through with the work. Wesley may have painted the finest of detail in his experience with a piece, then he will outline that, shift the color, add the details, and then wash it out and begin another masterpiece on top of it. Much like life, this process proves the impermanence of everything we think is perfect and beautiful. Nothing stays the same, nothing is forever. 

Buffalo Gal Has Found Objection. Micah Wesley

When interviewing Wesley, it's clear that he is currently in the most sacred space an artist can achieve, the continuous process of creation. Wesley speaks with Art Beat Conversations about the uncomfortable yet necessary interaction he is currently in with his art. Tackling some very relevant and heavy issues in Native America, such as stereotyping and racism, his concept is what fuels his intense and consuming method. Wesley feels it is necessary to allow himself to push through his comfort zone, opening a space for thought to form, for the work to speak for him, through him, and in turn create a dialogue to other people. Wesley is not concerned however with how others may receive his latest works. He is in the middle of discovering how he feels about and reacts to them himself. This is inspiring and something that often gets lost in our 'instant' post and share world. This 'all in' approach is the part that intrigues, and has brought me personally to another level of respect for this artist. 

Here is the conversation with Micah Wesley "The Werewulf".

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Music featured on this episode taken from a 'Werewulf' mix-tape. Artists listed in order of appearance: Motley Crue, The Beat, The Werewulf, Funkdoobiest, Bob Marley vs. Bill Laswell, Funkadelic, DJ Krush, and ending track 'Satan is Real' by Hank III. 

Micah Wesley

More about the artist: 

"The Werewulf" Micah Wesley (Creek/Kiowa) is a painter who works in Oil, Acrylic, and Graphite. Wesley is currently living in Norman, Oklahoma attending OU for his MFA. Wesley is also a DJ, and plays out at weekly residencies throughout Norman.

Find out more about Micah Wesley on his WEBSITE or follow his work and ways on TUMBLR

Selected works from Micah Wesley's latest series 'My Red Neck/ My Red Skin':

High Cheek Bones. Micah Wesley

We Are. Micah Wesley

My Red Skin, Pt. 3. Micah Wesley

My Red Neck, Pt. 1. Micah Wesley

We Are, Pt. 2. Micah Wesley

Conversation with Artist Courtney M. Leonard

"Baleen". Courtney M. Leonard. 

When speaking with ceramic and mixed media artist Courtney M. Leonard, I can't help but feel a tidal rhythm in her story, a knowing, a conscious patterning of learning and teaching, as if a map is being drawn up through the conversation, a reminder that all things are connected, and to be aware of the connection points. By relating greatly to the ocean in her work, which has sustained her people for generations, Leonard gives us an opportunity  to look deeper at our natural world, and remember to listen to nature. Leonard's work opens a vital conversation about the environment, and our impact on it, but never in a forceful way. When first engaging with the art of Courtney M. Leonard,  a conversation begins in pure abstraction, delicate patterning, line and color, a dream story. But upon learning Leonard's journey and experiences, it becomes apparent there is an urgency within her work. A story mapped out through the various forms and lines, connecting one image to another, and layered in context and concept. The viewer is not told what to see, but invited to look deeper, to see further, to engage with the environment and remember how to think critically about the world we are a part of.

Artist Courtney M. Leonard of Shinnecock Nation

In this episode of Art Beat Conversations, artist Courtney M. Leonard shares with us her journey through education and the various tools for connection and growth she has collected along her path as the artist. We also learn about her travels in Aotearoa and the many inspiring people who weave together her story and continue to inspire her work and world.

"BREACH: STRANDING #1" Courtney M. Leonard, 2014. 2' x 4' Acrylic on Wood Panel. 

Here is the conversation with the intensely hardworking and inspiring indigenous artist, Courtney M. Leonard. 

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Music Featured in this episode by Fat Freddy's Drop.

Featured Song: Fat Freddy’s Drop vs. SP:MC, mash-up by dj erin e

BREACH: Scrimshaw Studies. Courtney M. Leonard, 2014

More about the artist:

Courtney M. Leonard from the Shinnecock Nation of Long Island, New York. Leonard's work explores the evolution of language, image and culture through various mixed media pieces, woven together with an asthtetic that seems to map an experience of the world she has experienced. She studied art and museum studies at the Institute of American Indian Arts (AFA 2000), Alfred University (BFA 2002), and the Rhode Island School of Design (MFA 2008). She currently lives in Santa Fe, NM and works as a professional artist and educator.

Visit Courtney M. Leonard at her website here.

Connect with Courtney M. Leonard on her Facebook Fan Page.