Artist Statement
The Paradise Series explores the complex nature of the duality of perspectives of African Americans in the U.S. At once being wanted and disregarded in the same breath as we live in a place that was established without us in mind. The plight of wanting to be welcomed but at the same time burdened with the history that brought you to this place. Relishing in the freedoms afforded you by your predecessor’s but living with the realization that history repeats itself all too often. The realization of that duality has shaped me in my growth as a person and as an American of African descent. The motifs utilized are those we recognize and identify as a type of paradise to some but not always for others. These moments of pleasure and gratitude are often short lived. At times the experiences are subtle and easily dismissed as nothing, but they can also be stark and aggressive. Through these images I speak of those moments I have witnessed as well as those I have experienced just to understand our place in this world. Borrowing from the lessons passed down to me by those I have known and those who have not had the fortune to have engaged with. My attempt is also to honor those contributions.
Some of these bring address a sense of calm reflection and others ask questions. Each successive work is the furthering of those points, leaving room for dialogue.
About the Artist
E. L. Briscoe was born in Charles County, MD, attended Charles County Public Schools and went on to attend Charles County Community College (now College of Southern MD), Morgan State University (BA, 1996) and Howard University (MFA, 1998). Briscoe is also a professor in Visual Art and the Coordinator of the Visual Arts Program in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts at Morgan State University in Baltimore, MD. and has artwork in the collections of the James E. Lewis Museum of Art, The David C. Driskell Center, the Jean and Robert Steele Collection of African American Prints and the African American Museum of Art, Dallas, TX.Artist's Statement
https://www.washingtonpost.com/arts-entertainment/2023/03/03/art-gallery-shows-dc-region/ https://andscape.com/features/redefining-blackness-black-artist-series-eric-briscoe/Featured Work
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