Mandrill, 2022, Steven Cogle
83.86 X 83.86 inches
Acrylic and Oilstick on canvas
Unframed
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Artist Bio:
As a young Brooklynite of Jamaican heritage, in the early 80s, Steven Cogle went to the library daily, checking out sketchbooks, recollecting his favorite superheroes and remixing them into his own hip-hop versions. “As much as I liked superheroes like Superman and Batman, they didn’t look like me, so I couldn’t relate to them,” says Cogle. Looking back at the greatest emcees and DJ’s in hip-hop, each one of them was self-taught - born into the culture and remaining honest to their calling. The same goes for Cogle, and his pursuit to become a visual artist.
When viewing a Cogle piece, observers must be aware of the many layers of meaning and complexity within. Each painting keys-in to a sacred story, a story that documents the tradition of African people spread throughout the Diaspora, from the Ivory Coast to the Caribbean to East Flatbush.