Kehinde Wiley

Yesterday, I went to the Virginia Museum of Fine Art. The hit of the visit was this recent acquisition (left) from Los Angeles-born and New York-based artist Kehinde Wiley. (To get an idea of its size--it is huge--click here.) Wiley, who is 28 (!), paints young, black men in poses reminiscent of Baroque or Rococo classics. In fact, the pose from Wiley's piece, Willem van Huythuysen (2006) is "quoted" directly from this 17th century portrait of a German gentleman of the same name (right). Wiley's portraits are in collections in Brooklyn, Denver, Kansas City, and of course, Richmond; an NPR profile recently described him as one of the "top newcomers on the New York art scene."

When I first saw Willem, I thought it was a simple tongue-in-cheek take on flashy urban style. The more I thought about it, however, and the more I looked at his other work (which is best viewed at Wiley's personal website), I realized that the guy is doing something much more subtle--and valuable. First off, he's making fun of the arrogance of the original Renaissance-era paintings. If you look like a pompous ass standing like around with a sword (or a scroll, or a cane) in the 21st century, my guess is that you'd still look like a pompous jerk way back when.

Most importantly, though, Wiley is asking "Why not?" Why not portray young black men in traditional poses of wealth and power. Why can't they be the subjects of "serious" art work. I also love the fact that someone so young is able to make these points with such flair and style. The guy's currently exhibiting in Columbus, Ohio; definitely worth a look if that's your neck of the woods.

Post-script: If you're not too impressed by this particular piece and are wondering why I love this guy so much, I again recommend checking out the gallery in Wiley's website. That's where I found probably my favorite works of his, with his trademark bright--but spot-on and very attractive--color schemes and patterns.