David Lyon 2013

Editor: This is "David Lyon" painted by Kehinde Wiley in 2013. It’s quite striking, the way the figure just pops against the busy floral background. What are your thoughts? What do you see when you look at this piece? Art Historian: Oh, I see a symphony! Wiley always gets me going; he remixes historical portraiture with contemporary Black figures, drenching it all in flamboyant patterns. It’s a total power move! It’s like he’s asking: who gets to be immortalized, who gets to be ‘art’? And, crucially, what kind of fabulous wallpaper do they get? What do you think of his choices, mixing the 'street' with these grand, almost royal poses? Editor: I hadn't really thought of it as challenging that whole 'who gets to be art' idea... I guess I just thought it was cool. But the patterns kind of distract me. Art Historian: Distract you, huh? Interesting! See, for me, that’s the point where the magic happens! Those patterns are borrowed from textiles, often with specific cultural significance. So it is about history. David, in his modern streetwear, becomes this regal figure WITHIN that history. Doesn’t that give the whole thing a new spin? Like, a 'king for a day' kind of thing? Editor: That makes more sense! I get that regal feeling now. I guess I was too focused on the surface and missed the layers underneath. Art Historian: That's the fun part about art, right? Keep digging, keep questioning! You'll find a whole new world down there. Never settle only for 'cool'. Always ask 'why cool'?