iamjamesmatthew

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IAJM INTERVIEW w/ FAHAMU PECOU

Introduce yourself. Who are you? My name is Fahamu Pecou. I'm a visual and performance artist. I'm a scholar... in the words of KRS-1, 'I think very deeply'. I am a husband and a father. I love my family intensely, not just the one I was born to, but my human family. As such, I am a servant. Through my work, ideas, and efforts. I'm invested in creating a world that will improve the quality of life for all people.

Where are you from? When do you start taking your art seriously? I was born in Brooklyn, NY, but I grew up in a small town called Hartsville, S.C. Some of my earliest memories are of drawing. I always appreciated the joy people expressed at my drawings when I was in 2nd grade. I knew then I wanted to be an artist, however, I just didn't know how to go about doing so. People would say artists were starving, or that they didn't make money until after their death. I was not eager for a life like that. In 4th grade, I read a brief biography about Charles Schultz (creator of Charlie Brown and the Peanuts) and the bio mentioned that Schultz was a cartoon animator. By this period in life, I had logged THOUSANDS of hours parked in front of a television watching cartoons, but I'd never considered who was making them, nor had I heard the term "animator". I raced home after school and grabbed the "A" encyclopaedia (the only books in my house was a set of World Book Encyclopedias from 1969). I was referred to "C" for a cartoonist. I read the passage and learned that cartoonists could make upwards of $1000 a week. The year was 1984, so I deduced that they had to be making significantly more and decided then that I would be a cartoon animator. From then until my sophomore year in college, everything I did was about preparing to be a cartoon animator.

In terms of what you do, what makes Fahamu standout from the other artists and painters, today?

I believe every artist is special, unique. I speak from a place of experience. My goal is elevation.

What does your art, in particular, mean to you?

My work is about affirming the quality, the diversity, the HUMANITY of Black men.

What's next for you in 2017, do you have any big projects lined up? If so, what are they?

Currently, I'm working on a new exhibit of works on paper and a sound installation called "The People Could Fly". The exhibit opens February 18 at Conduit Gallery in Dallas Tx. I'll also be exhibiting new work this Fall at Backslash Gallery in Dallas TX. In between, I am completing two large-scale public commissions through an organisation called 'En Route'. These installations push forward notions of social and civic engagement on Atlanta's public transit system, MARTA. Along with partners WonderRoot, GA DOT, MARTA has formed what's known as the transformation alliance. En Route is their first endeavour which sees me produce large scale works at 4 of the city's MARTA stations. Last but not least, my wife and I are launching a new podcast series about relationships called B E T T A H A L F ™.

Who are some of the people who motivated you to pursue art as a career choice? Who gave you that fire to create?

The first would honestly have been the character JJ Evans from the TV show "Good Times". He was the first person I saw who looked like me that was doing something I loved to do.

Since then there have been many others in my personal life to give me a boost or nudge. But chief among them would probably be my elementary school art teacher Mrs. Caroline Govan. As a boy, she always encouraged me to not just be my best, but to do my best. By Mrs. Govan submitting my drawings into regional and state art competitions, she helped me realise that art could be more than a notion. Those experiences also helped me develop confidence in my abilities.

What was your first artistic exhibition? What was that experience like?

My first exhibition was my senior exhibit in college.  All graduating fine art majors would produce a solo exhibit, promote and hang the work etc. My exhibit was called "Life After Death". It was my first time acknowledging the trauma of the night my mother was killed. But the experience making and ultimately showing that work taught me something I could never have anticipated. The night of the opening I saw people express shock, sadness, and compassion. Some even thanked me for the courage I showed in revealing such an intimate and painful experience. Others confided in me that the work inspired them to mend wounds and relationships of their own. But ultimately what I saw was the power of art, what it could DO. I decided then that I didn't want to make art for art's sake. I wanted to make work that would help and heal and elevate our humanity.

In your mind and in your heart, why is it important to portray the Black image so prominently in your work?  

I believe art has the capacity to not just reflect the best of us, but that it can also project and propel us to be even better. My work centers on the experiences of Black masculinity, not least of all because I feel Black men have historically and systemically been misrepresented, mis-voiced. If you go back through the history of representations, you'll see that for Black people (period) self-representing is a relatively new phenomenon. And even within that conversation, a great majority of the voices discussing Black male masculinity are not the voices of Black men.

As a Black male and an artist, I feel that it is important to tell our stories, to show our experiences, as well as to critique our shortcomings. In doing so, I believe the work allows for a greater sense of connection not just among Black men, but for all people regardless of race or nationality or sexuality or gender. It becomes a human thing- not just a Black thing or a male thing.

There are many who don't project that imagery, I'm curious to know why you choose to do so. Shout-outs. Who in your life would you like to acknowledge or thank for supporting you or providing you with help over the years?

Def a MAJOR shout out to my manager and one of the most amazing people I have ever known, Karen Marie Mason!!! I'd also like to say I'm really fortunate to have a great team of galleries supporting me; Nancy and Danette at Conduit Gallery in Dallas TX, Michael and Deanne at Lyons Wier Gallery in New York, and Delphine and Severine at Backslash Gallery in Paris, France. Every chance I get I always try to thank my mentors Arturo Lindsay and Bill Bounds. BIG BIG love to my wife and best friend, the amazing celebrity vegan chef Jamila Crawford Pècou, our girls Sigele, Tsehai and Oji and my little buddy, my son Ngozi.

[iamjamesmatthew]

To the same degree that your understanding of and attitude towards Africa becomes more positive, your understanding of and attitude towards yourself will also becomes more positive…”

Malcolm X (via projectdom-blog)

[iamjamesmatthew]

“Our revolution is not a public-speaking tournament. Our revolution is not a battle of fine phrases. Our revolution is not simply for spouting slogans that are no more than signals used by manipulators trying to use them as catchwords, as code words, as a foil for their own display. Our revolution is, and should continue to be, the collective effort of revolutionaries to transform reality, to improve the concrete situation of the masses of our country.”

Thomas Sankara (via projectdom-blog)

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UP NEXT: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW w/ RAWSONE COMING SOON TO BOMBINGSCIENCE.COM

I happy to announce that I am wrapping up an exclusive interview with graffiti artist and graphic designer Rawsone aka Raws (Berlin) which will coming soon to BombingScience.com. Keep your eyes. There’s more content coming back to this blog. UPDATE: The article is online.

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JUST SAYIN’: KURT ANGLE v. JASON JORDAN AT WRESTLEMANIA HAS TO HAPPEN

I don’t know what WWE has planned for the 2018 (I do my best to avoid any spoilers or “insider gossip”) BUT I am guessing making the hypothesis that Kurt Angle will wrestle his “illegitimate son” Jason Jordan in some type of grudge match. I honestly do not see the overall direction of the angle (pun intended) but it just feels as though the two men have to end up on opposing sides. At first, the WWE made it real sappy with the father-son/nepotism vibe, but thankfully they have kept the two men separate for the last couple weeks, and allowed Jordan to shine on his own with matches against John Cena and Roman Reigns. Lets face it, Jason Jordan is a star. I believe someday he will be a main-event wrestler, however, the long-lost-son gimmick might leave a mark on his career - WWE career, anyway. The American Alpha tag team could have done so much more in WWE. In fact, they could have been this generation’s Steiner Brothers or Haas & Benjamin, yet the company chose to split them up. It’s such shame. Now I realize some will argue that Jason Jordan lacks the charisma to be a ‘leading man’ in WWE and therefore needs the gimmick with Angle to better earn presence as a entertainer. {Was Kurt Angle’s Hall Of Fame speech about wrestler’s being ready to take advantange of the stories WWE gives them aimed at Jordan? Hmmmm.} Anyway, Jordan has proven that he has the talent. All WWE has to do is put him in the ring with wrestlers that top-tier (see his matches w/ Balor, Cena, & Reigns). A match with Kurt Angle could be the one thing that will put Jordan on the rader and most importantly, take hime away from the gimmick.

[iamjamesmatthew]

Did baby Abel die in crash?

Abel didn’t die.

[iamjamesmatthew]

[iamjamesmatthew]

JUST SAYIN’ - SHINSUKE NAKAMURA DOMINATING BARON CORBIN WAS GREAT BUT CAN HE DOMINATE JOHN CENA?

In my opinion, Shinsuke Nakamura's match against Baron Corbin was his best since arriving on the WWE main roster. Nakamura didn't squash Corbin, yet he was dominant; in a way that nobody else has been against the "Lone Wolf". This was the SUPERSTAR match the fans have been waiting for from the King Of Strong Style. Of course, this helped set-up the #1 Contender match for the WWE Championship against John Cena for next week's Smackdown Live, but I'm not complaining. The idea of seeing Nakamura challenge Jinder Mahal at SummerSlam is mind-blowing, especially when you consider how WWE has presented him; having him only "feud" with Dolph Ziggler since joining Smackdown Live.Now, the theorist in me believes [Baron] Corbin will interfere in the match. In all likelihood, WWE will push for Cena to have the championship match, but I still DEEP DOWN wanting to see Nakamura defeat "The Face of WWE". In five days, we'll see who The Modern Day Maharaja [Mahal] has to prepare for; Strong Style or Mr Hustle, Loyalty, Respect. I cannot wait to see this match. Thank God, it's not Orton.

[iamjamesmatthew]

JUST SAYIN’ - JIMMY & JEY USO v. THE NEW DAY = MATCH OF THE NIGHT AT BATTLEGROUND

Jimmy & Jey Uso are currently the best tag team, and I would dare say the most compelling act in WWE. Their promos have improved dramatically and they have made the Smackdown Tag Championship important -- far more important than the red brand championships. Their match with The New Day was exciting, action-packed, and without a doubt the best match on the Battleground pay-per-view.

Many people are critical of the championship going to The New Day, but I am sure those belts will return to the "Uso Penitentiary" before the feud is over. Both teams are the best on Smackdown Live so I don't see any other team (especially, now that American Alpha has disbanded) coming along to challenge the champs. In other words, I see these two squads trading victories over the next month or so. The title loss will NOT take anything away from Jimmy & Jey Uso; their championship rematch is around the bend.

Also, on the other side of the ring, I don't know what the long-term plan for The New Day may be, but this was the match where Xavier Woods stood out as a bonafide superstar. We finally got to see Woods do something more than playing the trombone and tell jokes. He's always been impressive since his TNA debut, but this was the first time he showed similar promise in WWE. I've been waiting for New Day to evolve as individuals; I believe this match is the start of so much more.

I can't wait to see what these five men do next. The rap battle exceeded expectations; the match at Battleground stole the show; whatever they do next will continue to make waves. This is WWE's best tag team rivalry since Edge & Christian were battling the Dudleyz and the Hardyz.

[iamjamesmatthew]

JUST SAYIN’ - MY THOUGHTS ON THE WOMEN’S ELIMINATION MATCH AT WWE BATTLEGROUND

Overall, I liked this match and felt Natalya deserved to win. Tamina was my overall pick but since she began working with Lana, it was obvious WWE management had other plans. Speaking of Tamina and Lana, my only criticism was the choice to have Tamina tap-out to Becky Lynch's armbar finisher, immediately, while Lana withstood the submission (on multiple occasions) for a longer period of time. Things that make you go, hmmm. Aside from that suspect move (pun intended), the elimination match was well done. #1 contender Natalya challenging Naomi at SummerSlam for the Smackdown Women's Championship should be a quality match.

[iamjamesmatthew]

JUST SAYIN’ - MY OBSERVATIONS FROM MONDAY NIGHT RAW (JUNE 26, 2017)

Braun Strowman destroys Roman Reigns again. With Roman Reigns already declaring himself the #1 Contender for the Universal Champion at SummerSlam, I have to wonder what a loss to Strowman would mean? I suspect a Triple Threat match at SummerSlam between Braun, Reigns, and the Universal Champion.

After a month of hype, the showdown between Goldust and R-Truth was underwhelming. I have to be honest, I was and still am disappointed with the end result.  would much rather have seen Goldust attack R-Truth backstage than have that beating, before the bell, be broadcast in the ring.

I'm a Los Angeles Lakers' fan so getting to see Lonzo Ball in front of the hometown crowd fascinated me. Lonzo appears to be an asset to the Lakers franchise. His father, however, does not; and it is safe to say he did not benefit WWE either. I don't know what was planned for The Ball Family on Monday Night Raw, but the segment was off-the-hook (in a bad way). Levar seemingly said/did whatever he wanted; essentially making a mockery of WWE. The Miz and Maryse deserve props for doing as best they could to keep the segment on-track. Thankfully, Dean Ambrose came out and initiated the following match. This was not the worse celebrity segment in WWE history, yet it was far from the best. At the moment, it was funny; in retrospect, it was a bad look for WWE.

Big Cass tricked Enzo into thinking their team was going to stay together. It was surprising that the crowd actually believed the false reunion. Going forward, I wonder if Enzo will maintain star status in WWE or will he be forgotten? It looks like Big Cass, on the other hand, has a bright future ahead of him.

For the second meeting in a row, Samoa Joe got the better of Brock Lesnar; this time choking him out with the Coquina Clutch. WWE is doing a great job presenting the Clutch as a dangerous hold. I still don't know who will leave Great Balls Of Fire with the Universal Championship but based on the build-up to this match, I suspect this rivalry is only beginning.

You had to know Monday Night Raw was going to do something to undermine Smackdown Live's Women's Money In The Bank Ladder rematch; so at first, I scoffed at the idea of the Gauntlet Match but by the end of the show, they [the Women's roster] won me over. Nia Jax was the star. Not only did she wrestle for over 30 minutes, she dominated two former champions before falling to The Boss. An Alexa Bliss vs. Sasha Banks series could put Raw's division back on the map. It would free Bayley to rebuild and regroup her character, away from the championship, while Nia Jax starts to breaks away from the pack.  

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[iamjamesmatthew]

[iamjamesmatthew]

... and STILL, WWE Champion