Study for "Never Scared", 18" x 24", mixed media on digital print

After recovering from the heat of the day at the Mattress Factory, I dropped by Fahamu Pecou's Something Like a Phenomenon at Vaknin. The theme was speakeasy and the dress code was strictly 1920s, Harlem Renaissance, flappers, and gin joints. The party was pure spectacle, and it was impossible not to get infected by it. A room-sensitive DJ and a string of alterna-hop vocalists kept the energy going through the night.


Artist Toya Northington in speakeasy style


Study for "Black Guys R Cool", 20" x 24", mixed media on digital print

I wasn't expecting to actually see any art that night, but it was interesting to see that Pecou is showing a number of the photographs that served as studies for the paintings. These were a pleasant surprise. Far from being merely functional mockups, they are in fact fully produced photo shoots. And they work surprisingly well as finished works in themselves. All of Pecou's claims about performance and the putting on of costumes as social devices actually pay off here. The paintings tend to obscure these claims, but the photos clarify them.


Study for "Crystal Stare", 16" x 20", mixed media on digital print

The image quality in most of the photos is hasty and low res, presumably because they were never meant to be shown as finished works. However, given their inherent multi-level signifying, I think the whole relationship between the studies and the paintings needs to be rethought.