Artist Spotlight pt. 1: Mickalene Thomas

This fall marks my sixth semester as a studio art major. Throughout this journey I have found inspiration in many things from nature, to ugly crying in my room about the horrors of America, to the #blackboyjoy I see when my baby lets out a belly laugh.

After my graduation from Orange Coast College this past May, I felt like I needed to reach further into my zeitgeist to find inspiration that will motivate me as the years roll by.

A professor of mine has been curating some databases of historically marginalized artists for her students to use in projects, as reference, and more. These resources include art from Black, Latinx, and LGBTQIA+ creators. What I discovered within these Padlet pages was a wave of creative energy that I didn’t want to let go of. Thus, my blog begins with part one of my “Artist Spotlight” series.

I am drawn to Mickalene Thomas and her body of work for a number of reasons:

No 1.: She’s ALIVE (support living artists, y’all)

No.2: She’s Black

No. 3: She’s Queer

No. 4: Her artwork is phenomenal and executes a collage aesthetic in a way that draws my attention in every time.

No. 5: The mix media approach she uses is impressive and relatable to my own artistic processes.

No. 6: You can see her work in person all over the nation (and globe!)

I hope yall enjoy this collection of her works as much as I have.