{"id":4962,"date":"2019-03-07T20:16:48","date_gmt":"2019-03-07T20:16:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/media-archive.blackartinamerica.com\/?p=4962"},"modified":"2021-10-21T14:09:46","modified_gmt":"2021-10-21T14:09:46","slug":"just-out-here-livin-his-best-life-goin-back-and-forth-with-cedric-michael-cox","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/earthexhibitions.org\/media-archive\/?p=4962","title":{"rendered":"Just Out Here Livin\u2019 His Best Life: Goin’ Back and Forth With Cedric Michael Cox"},"content":{"rendered":"

Just Out Here Livin\u2019 His Best Life: Goin’ Back and Forth With Cedric Michael Cox<\/span><\/i><\/h2>\n
 Dr. S. Alexis Anderson<\/span><\/pre>\n
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\u00a0\u00a0 Cedric Michael Cox is a fun and intriguing mix of oxymorons: suburban yet urban, complex yet simple, the hip hop vibes of Public Enemy yet the symphonic sounds of the progressive rock band \u201cYes,\u201d guest lecturer at Cincinnati Taft Museum of Art as well as prek-8<\/span>th<\/span> grade arts educator at St. Francis Parish.\u00a0 This collection of oxymorons offers just a tiny glimpse into the rich life of Cedric Michael Cox.\u00a0 However, getting to the core of the man behind the art is not a linear, straight forward process. Instead, his story is told through a series of experiences and pivotal moments. Much like his art, the viewer, listener, or reader is given the freedom to draw his or her own conclusions. If I had to identify a theme for Cox\u2019s life, it would definitely be freedom. The word itself or stories that bring the word to life are woven throughout his conversations and reflections on his life as an artist and as an African-American artist.\u00a0 Admittedly limited in my knowledge of artistic terms, I quickly found myself drawn into Cox\u2019s smooth way of weaving lessons on art and art history into our casual conversation. Though surprised at his revelation of his current work as both a working artist and a prek \u2013 8<\/span>th<\/span> grade arts educator, it was not difficult to see how he is able to easily navigate between the world of young learners all the way to the world of more seasoned connoisseurs of art he encounters during his travels, lectures and residencies. As we chatted, I too, became a student. <\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a>Although I had done some preliminary research on Cox and his work, I found that as I read more, I wanted to know more. I took notes and jotted down questions. I quickly realized that in order to catch what Cox was putting down, I would need to abandon my somewhat structured, linear plan and follow his more scenic route \u2013 one that felt like a casual Sunday evening ride with no destination in mind but would prove to be a carefully chartered journey with a clear end goal. As I continued to gently push for more insight on the man behind the art, Cox slowly released pieces to the puzzle. Much like his Cubist inspired work \u2013 the puzzle pieces were provided in fragments but all worked together to tell a story of inspiration, self-awareness, evolution, and freedom. \u00a0\u00a0I was curious about what had truly shaped Cox into the artist and man he is today. In spite of my earlier revelation, I still, for some reason, expected a quick trip down memory lane that would talk about childhood and key people in his early art journey. He did reveal a couple of pretty straight forward details \u2013 his family was supportive and he was typically the only black kid around growing up. Good to know but I would soon find that\u2019s not really the info that tells the story. <\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a>Again, instead of the very linear journey I was expecting, Cox shared four pivotal moments that shaped his career. During college, he received a fellowship to study in Scotland and realized the opportunity had pushed him to begin to take his calling as an artist more seriously. Fast forward to 2012, and he realized that his work had transitioned. He was using bolder, brighter colors; the work was more fun and reminiscent of someone who felt \u201cfree.\u201d It was also around this time that he decided he didn\u2019t want to be in a box that limited him to just being known for city scapes. This particular evolution really began around 2010. That year he completed three solo exhibitions in one year and began to realize that people didn\u2019t tend to gravitate toward his cityscapes and geometric work quite as much anymore. By 2012, he looked up and had evolved without really realizing it initially. \u00a0Yet a third pivotal moment was during a solo exhibition at the Taft Museum of Art. He was asked to give a lecture on artist George Innis. In the process of researching and preparing, a lightbulb came on. He realized that Innis\u2019 subject matter never really changed, but the way he articulated it did. This \u201caha moment\u201d has remained with him over the years. Lastly, a move to Cincinnati Arts District, Over-the-Rhine, proved to be particularly pivotal. It was after this move, he tells me, that his work really became more complex and more thought, variety, and contrast could be seen in his work. The move had truly shaped his aesthetic. As a child, he grew up in the suburbs of Cincinnati where everything pretty much looked the same. The move to Cincinnati\u2019s urban historic district is what really shaped his aesthetic as an artist and triggered a deeper interest in urban structure, the environment around him and its details. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a>Creatives, whether it be artists, writers, or musicians, are always asked to talk about who inspires them and why. Cox began by telling me, or teaching me really, \u00a0about Picasso, founder of Cubism, and the strong Cubist influence seen throughout his own work. We also talked about John Biggers which led us down a very interesting side street, if you will. Our discussion about Biggers first led Cox to reflect for a moment on an experience he had in college. While Cox didn\u2019t necessarily list this as one of his four pivotal moments, I think it really speaks to his aesthetic as an artist, who he is as a person, and what I imagine might be at least part of the foundation of his teaching philosophy. He begins to talk about Biggers again briefly and pauses to re route the discussion again to finish sharing details about what seemed like the moment he came to terms with his place in the world of both art and African-American art. \u00a0There was time, particularly during his college years, where he found himself trying to fit into the mold of what he thought an African-American artist should be and of what he thought others thought African-American art should look like. It didn\u2019t work. Instead, the words of his art instructor \u2013 Professor Terrance Corbin resonated with him. Cox said Corbin told him to, \u201cGo with what you feel. Go with what your experience is.\u201d As he talked about Corbin, I detected an ever so subtle change in Cox\u2019s voice. Nothing overt but just a little something that suggested that it was at this moment that he really and truly became free. Free to be an artist without boundaries and free to be an artist not forced to fit into anyone else\u2019s notions of what an African-American artist should be. We made our way back around to Biggers, and Cox shared that his love for Biggers\u2019 work is what pushed him to try and explore his own \u201cblackness\u201d in his art more. While he thoughtfully points out similarities between he and Biggers \u00a0– such as shared interest in mythical literature, he also acknowledges that Biggers work resonated because his art is what he lived. He traveled to Africa. He studied the culture, so the African presence in his work happened organically and felt natural. He instead began to take a deeper look at Biggers and instead of solely focusing on how his identity shows up in his art, focus on his ability to infuse his experiences into his work. I\u2019m certain this revelation was not a new one for Cox, but the intensity and passion with which he talked about it was if he was thinking about it for the first time all over again. He goes on to talk about a piece of work he created that was inspired by an African mud cloth hanging in his studio. The piece was successful because he had followed Professor Corbin\u2019s advice and used something that was already in his space that he loved to inspire his work. It was a natural progression. It was effortless, and the story behind the mud cloth resonated with him. It was in this moment that he realized that simply being himself is in fact a black presence. Not only that, but his art has opened doors for him. It\u2019s a bridge. It\u2019s inviting. It\u2019s a way to communicate with people he might not normally communicate with. These, too, are the notions he embeds in the minds of his young students \u2013 Art is a bridge, and it can take you wherever you want to go. As one with a particular interest in urban education, this point raised by Cox made me think, for a moment, about access and how all too often people of color miss out on certain opportunities because they don\u2019t have the resources, network, or knowledge needed to gain access. While access is a topic for another time, I do hope that young people will realize, like Cox did, that they can create their own path or build their own bridge instead of waiting for someone to give them permission. Cox asserts, \u201cI\u2019m aggressive and fearless. I spend how I want. I build my market how I want. My work speaks for itself. I\u2019m a black artist creating art.\u201d Simple. <\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a>This intense, thought provoking conversation about the black presence led us over to another artist Cox also names as having an influence on his work and one he is often compared to \u2013 abstract expressionist Norman Lewis. \u00a0Born in 1909, Lewis was particularly interested in using his art to focus on the struggles of the black community as well as various facets of black urban life. While he wanted to use his art as a form of social and political commentary of the times, he found himself becoming somewhat disillusioned with the world around him and instead becoming more focused on his aesthetic development. As his work gradually became more abstract, Lewis realized that he didn\u2019t really fit into the African American art world or the mainstream art world. He was still too black for mainstream, and the African American art world felt as though his shift had completely eliminated the \u201cblackness\u201d from his art \u2013 so he didn\u2019t quite fit in anywhere. \u00a0I, of course, wondered if Cox had also found himself in a similar space being \u201caccused\u201d of creating work that somehow \u201clacked blackness.\u201d I don\u2019t know that he necessarily gave me a clearly defined yes or no answer, but what he was very clear on is that he doesn\u2019t see his blackness as a boundary and embraces the freedom that comes with being ok with not fitting into the traditional notions that sometimes come with being an African American artist. He again mentions, as almost an affirmation of sorts that, \u201cBeing myself is a black presence. My work is social activism because I\u2019m doing it my own way \u2013 without trying. That\u2019s the beauty of art. So many boundaries already exist about how people of color represent ourselves \u2013 particularly in Hollywood. A certain freedom comes with knowing that I don\u2019t have to box myself in because the \u201cpresence of blackness\u201d exists in everything I do.\u201d This was powerful and continued to enforce Cox\u2019s theme of freedom and what it looks like. <\/span><\/p>\n
\"\"<\/a>Before we move on, Cox brings us back to Lewis for a moment to share that he gets the comparison to Lewis quite often and considers it an honor and that many of his patrons even started to purchase works by Lewis. It\u2019s a beautiful irony that we can see such parallels between an artist living and working during the height of Jim Crow and the Civil Rights Movement and one living and working, many years later, during this racially charged time of Black Lives Matter and the importance of \u201cstaying woke.\u201d In the midst of it all, Cedric Michael Cox remains consistent and steadfast. His life alone takes that notion of \u201cstaying woke\u201d and much like the Cubist and deconstructionist influences he speaks so passionately about, he embraces this idea of \u201cstaying woke,\u201d shatters it, and presents it in a new but most certainly more complex and meaningful way. <\/span><\/p>\n
Keep on keepin\u2019 on Cedric Michael Cox! I pray that I get a chance to chat with you again soon to see where you are on your journey. In the meantime, as I hold space for you, I\u2019ll use the hashtag #FreedomDeconstructed as my reminder to reach out and revisit part two of our talk one day soon.<\/span><\/p>\n
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Dr. S. Alexis Anderson graduated from Bennett College with her B.A in English, has her M.A in Technical & Professional Writing from Georgia State University, and a PhD in Rhetoric and Composition-also from GSU. She is the Head Sista In Charge (HSIC) at her company – Get It Write Consulting and also serves as the Executive Director at one of only two historically black theatres in the state of Georgia – The Liberty Theatre & Cultural Center, Inc in Columbus, GA. When she ain\u2019t busy writing or being a servant leader, \u00a0you can find her kickin\u2019 \u00a0it with loved ones, \u00a0listening to good music, sipping Remy VSOP and sprinkling her Black Girl Magic. If you need help getting your words \u00a0together, hit her here:\u00a0info@getitwriteconsulting.com<\/a><\/div>\n
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