© Kehinde Wiley, Napoleon Leading the Army over the Alps, 2005

The first time I saw this Kehinde Wiley painting, fashioned after Jacques-Louis David’s painting Bonaparte Crossing the Alps at Grand-Saint-Bernard, I was instantaneously struck with a feeling a familiarity…”Where have I seen this before?” Wiley’s made a name for himself, over the past few years, with his remixes of 17th through 19th century portraiture with contemporary urban black men aesthetic.

Black Light, 2009. Works by Kehinde Wiley

Black Light, his first monologue, released through PowerHouse Books this June, Wiley photographs his subjects in the same vain as his paintings. Black and brown men, traditionally posed, dressed fresh and to the nines, each exuding such an air of regality that it’s impossible that they could be anything less than a member of Napoleon’s royal court….

©Kehinde Wiley, Sleep, 2008, Oil on canvas

“My intention is to craft a world picture that isn’t involved in political correctives or visions of utopia. It’s more of a perpetual play with the language of desire and power.”
—Kehinde Wiley

In his The World Stage series, Wiley journey’s around the world painting his portraits with his locale’s cultural and historical images as his backdrop. The first in the series, The World Stage: China, showed his subjects in Communist propaganda art, while The World Stage: Africa, Lagos~Dakar showed African men in celebration of independence and post-colonialism. I’m more than excited for the U.S. release of the Brazil edition of the series, set for October ‘09; Turkey is said to be Wiley’s next stop on his ’round the world ticket.

If you’re not hip to Kehinde Wiley, hop on the 2-train and head uptown to the Studio Museum of Harlem, or check out the contemporary exhibition, “21,” at the Brooklyn Museum of Art.

Odile and Odette, 2005, is Shonibare’s version of a scene from Swan Lake, where the evil Odile pretends to be the innocent Odette to seduce the Prince. Traditionally, both parts are played by the same dancer, wearing different costumes of course: Black for the evil Odile and White for the innocent Odette. In Shonibare’s remix, he uses two dancers, and exchanges costumes for race. Perfect syncronization. Flawless lines.

Art is subjective, so what Shonibare is saying is open to interpretation. It’s pretty much accepted that the two dancers are used in tradition of Tchaikovsky’s characters, to convey the ideas of color and race associations of Black is evil and darkness, and White is purity and innocence. Or it’s meant to show off his amazing tutus and the dancers’ gorgeous lines.