“The work discovers new conceptual mass in the well-worn territories of race and representation.” – Joe Lewis, May 2001 Art in America
Artist Statement
“As with most sustained bodies of work, the golf-inspired theme happened quite by accident. The subject matter began showing up in my work after I picked up the game – it really was as simple as that. I saw the action of playing golf as creative, like “drawing” or mark making on the earth.
Mirror, Mirror, 1998
Each hole was its own framed piece of art. There was a history of marks and a random composition that I could recall from memory later on in the studio. So I began experimenting with these memories by drawing aerial views of golf holes I recalled or imagined. I slowly began to see these oil stick drawings as animated human figures.
Soldier, 1998
Shortly after that I began using golf objects as metaphors for a larger discussion of racism and identity. While I explored my own fascination with golf, I started to merge this passion with a more conceptual understanding of found object. I became interested in using the recycling of obscure Internet imagery and the Internet as “palette” to further explore this often complex subject matter.
Cadillac Bag, 2009-10. Made in residence at The Museum of Arts and Design, NYC. Collection of Bill and Pamela Royall
Over the last decade I began seeing the golf bag as “found canvas”, as metaphor, as vessel and as the human form; I saw its potential as both object and subject.
Using the process of collage and “found digital imagery” I changed the identity of the bag while maintaining (or in some cases, re-establishing) its relationship to race and social differences. In the end, I want to create an object that is at first beautiful then thought provoking.
In the studio at The Museum of Arts and Design as a curious visitor takes note of the process, NYC 2009.
After treating these objects with a certain amount of respect and admiration, adorning them with colorful imagery and varnish, I have taken to dissecting them. This current work is literally wrestled into shape. Whereas the former ‘decorated’ bags ‘allowed’ me to alter their appearance, these new pieces are stubborn and unwilling. The archetype is continuing to be challenged and manipulated.
This new body of work is called “Skinned”.
Fast Bag with Red Crown, 2011
The two quintessential pieces from this more than decade long body of work are, Arthur Negro I & II. Both are photo realistic, life-sized self-portraits. They represent my very personal and earnest contributions to the dialogue of, “What is Black Art?”, hence the name Arthur Negro. I wanted to end the debate with these two sculptures and move on.
-Charles
Arthur Negro II with new base 2006-09
Arthur Negro II as he appears today in the collection of Bill and Pamela Royall of Richmond, Virginia.
The Website of Artist Charles McGill
“The work discovers new conceptual mass in the well-worn territories of race and representation.” – Joe Lewis, May 2001 Art in America
Artist Statement
“As with most sustained bodies of work, the golf-inspired theme happened quite by accident. The subject matter began showing up in my work after I picked up the game – it really was as simple as that. I saw the action of playing golf as creative, like “drawing” or mark making on the earth.
Mirror, Mirror, 1998
Each hole was its own framed piece of art. There was a history of marks and a random composition that I could recall from memory later on in the studio. So I began experimenting with these memories by drawing aerial views of golf holes I recalled or imagined. I slowly began to see these oil stick drawings as animated human figures.
Soldier, 1998
Shortly after that I began using golf objects as metaphors for a larger discussion of racism and identity. While I explored my own fascination with golf, I started to merge this passion with a more conceptual understanding of found object. I became interested in using the recycling of obscure Internet imagery and the Internet as “palette” to further explore this often complex subject matter.
Cadillac Bag, 2009-10. Made in residence at The Museum of Arts and Design, NYC. Collection of Bill and Pamela Royall
Over the last decade I began seeing the golf bag as “found canvas”, as metaphor, as vessel and as the human form; I saw its potential as both object and subject.
Using the process of collage and “found digital imagery” I changed the identity of the bag while maintaining (or in some cases, re-establishing) its relationship to race and social differences. In the end, I want to create an object that is at first beautiful then thought provoking.
In the studio at The Museum of Arts and Design as a curious visitor takes note of the process, NYC 2009.
After treating these objects with a certain amount of respect and admiration, adorning them with colorful imagery and varnish, I have taken to dissecting them. This current work is literally wrestled into shape. Whereas the former ‘decorated’ bags ‘allowed’ me to alter their appearance, these new pieces are stubborn and unwilling. The archetype is continuing to be challenged and manipulated.
This new body of work is called “Skinned”.
Fast Bag with Red Crown, 2011
The two quintessential pieces from this more than decade long body of work are, Arthur Negro I & II. Both are photo realistic, life-sized self-portraits. They represent my very personal and earnest contributions to the dialogue of, “What is Black Art?”, hence the name Arthur Negro. I wanted to end the debate with these two sculptures and move on.
-Charles
Arthur Negro II with new base 2006-09
Arthur Negro II as he appears today in the collection of Bill and Pamela Royall of Richmond, Virginia.