Victor Montague III

Everyone has their own battles in life. That’s all part of the journey. When you dial in on those obstacles and become tunnel visioned it can be hard to plan accordingly. That’s when some of those vices come out. Just to dial the lens back a bit and see the full picture…… ”& always, Imma protect my mind, wit a 9 through .45!"

"A compilation of Paul Ratje's photographs at the US Border in Texas compiled into one painting. Depictions of real imagery taken as Haitian's escaped Haiti and attempted to come to the US as refugees. As spectators and viewers i would love for you to view this painting and see your self journey and what hiccups would occur from a disruption of normal life like what is depicted. What problems could occur what kind of faith you held in your own future and what it would to take to literally come out of the mud and make that a reality."

"This painting was started at the beginning of the Coronavirus Pandemic in 2020 and completed nearly a year later in 2021. Being on lockdown and having to watch the economies reaction to the recent events from the house, this painting was created to show that no matter what class in society you belonged to, there came a moment when everyone had to take the time to quarantine and grasp the understanding of this new reality. The painting depicts a Speak Easy, representing the secrecy of gatherings and meetings because although quarantining was what was best for the people to do to slow the spread, a sense of rebellion and conspiracy plagued the minds of many that felt it was a violation of there civil liberties. This Painting shows a table set for 10 because through the nation, that was generally the greatest number of people allowed to gather as a party. Subsequently, this image shines a direct correlation to how the pandemic directly affect the service industry and may have undoubtedly change the way they go about business in the future.

With the challenges of life it can sometimes be difficult to see through the weeds unto the other side. However this is the most critical moment to success or failure. Do what you need to do to protect and prove your self-worth. The mind is a powerful thing and it may take a reset or a change of thought to keep that progression steady.

A tribute to Leonardo Da Vinci’s "Last Supper", this painting has been created to show the legacy and lineage of “Black Comedy” in America. The way that Redd Foxx was able to bring the realities and difference between races to the mainstream media while still being able to create laughs with such raw material is in my eyes the seed of what drastically changed the way comedy was interpreted by society. In doing so, gave a voice to black Americans to begin a conversation of injustices and disparities being told through stories by Richard Pryor, Bill Cosby, Paul Mooney and Dick Gregory (who ran for president). Every glass ceiling shattered payed the way for the next comedian to take the ball a little further of what it meant to be a comedian. The next generation of comedians were able to take the pop star attention comedians received beyond the stage and paving a way for more black faces to be casted on television for more people to be able to experience. Eddie Murphy, Martin Lawrence, Steve Harvey and Bernie Mac can be considered The next in line to the throne the way they commanded attention globally for relating experiences and creating platforms that opened the doors to many greats who may otherwise not have been found. From that opportunity to perform because of their predecessors, we have had the opoportunity to see comedy turn to injustices and politics as well with acts such as Chris Rock, Dave Chappelle, Kevin Hart and Katt Williams. In this painting, depicted is the symbolism of Bill Cosby comparably as Judas in Da Vinci's original work. Due to the controversy yet evaluating the positive effects of his time within the field of comedy it seems fitting to mirror placement. The lineage of "Black Comedy" should be celebrated, thus "The Last Supper of Comedy."

An ode to M.C. Escher's masterpiece "Relativity." This journey can be a maze to discovering yourself and your full potential. Not to mention the seen and unseen obstacles that blockade fair and just paths to self knowledge. See yourself in many lights. See the past and the future in the present. Maybe that's a start?