History Is No Mystery: Shea Justice
This June in the main section of the Gallery we are featuring guest artist Shea Justice. His exhibition, History is No Mystery will run through June 26, 2022. Shea will be giving an Artist’s Talk on Sunday Juneteenth from 2:00–4:00 p.m. Below Shea answered a few questions from core member Sara Fine-Wilson about the evolution of and influences on his work.
The body of work you are exhibiting spans many years. Can you talk a little about the progression-which came first and how did that lead to the ones that came later?
SJ: The scroll projects came first. I started those twenty years ago when the War in Afghanistan began. The Constitution series began five years ago and everything else has been ongoing for the last twelve years. It's not particularly a succession as much as after doing a massive amount of reading and research I start to create things with the materials in front of me. I've always been interested in American history so it's constantly the theme of my work.
Can you talk about some of your influences over the years?
SJ: As a child I was influenced by a children's TV show called “Drawing From Nature With Captain Bob Cottle.” Following those instructional episodes made me want to be an artist. Especially after one particular episode where he displayed viewers art that was sent in and he showed one of mine. I was about six. My next door neighbor Wendell Sullivan could draw superheroes that got me into comic illustration at a very young age. My family and my grandparent's home in Virginia has always inspired me and given me ideas for my self expression.
Throughout Roxbury when I was growing up I loved the murals that were displayed everywhere in the city, and one of my favorite artist even to this day is Dana Chandler. As a matter of fact, I repainted one of his murals at the high school I teach at, Lincoln Sudbury Regional High School.
Other local artists like ProBlak Robb Gibbs, Thomas Kwest Burns, Barrington Edwards, and Rob Stull continue to give me ideas and inspire me. When I start to slow down and get lazy about creating work my friends Paul Gould and Frankie B. Washington make me pick up my materials and get back to work.
If I were to name movements that influence and inform my current work, I would say Pop Art by far is my personal favorite. Artists like Warhol, Lichtenstein, Rauschenberg, and Basquiat are still great inspirations to me. Depending on the medium I choose when making art the influence could be any artist during my process. From making collage–Romare Bearden, L'Merchie Frazier, and Ekua Holmes; to watercolor–Charles Reid and Alex Powers. I look up different artists when I want to learn a new technique before I begin the final process.
My creative preference currently is to be in the role of artist as an activist and so with my political work I look at the past work of David Levine, Sue Coe, and Dana Chandlers.