David Brame, Local Artist in Residence and Exhibit, January 2021
DUSTY FUNK! And the Cosmodelic Radioverse
February 5 Opening, 5 to 7pm | an immersive art experience is a performance + listening/dance party + tour of art runs February 5-9th
Join David Brame at the closing of his residency and tour of his installation with three guest DJ’s and his own musical collaborations. Featuring Badjonesrising, John Jennings and Stacey Robinson of Black Kirby and the Motherboxx Collective, Natasha Ross, Denise B. Mcleod and KD Chavez and with musical stylings by Sarush El (@OneMakesStuff) LaChewla (@LaChewla)
During this residency David will develop a mixed media show that further develops Dusty Funk and the lexicon of Afrofuturism. David says, “I maintain an active scholarly engagement. Dusty Funk is a series of mixed media Art Experiences that include 3 phases. Dusty Funk Psychedelic Afro Future Space Opera an evolving set of dynamic illustrations. Dusty Funk and the Wooly Whayl a tragic and surreal comic it follows the narrative path that a standard 5 act opera entails. That includes an overture, aria and three intermissions between the 2nd, 3rd and 4th acts. This makes for a total of 10 ‘chapters’. Dusty Funk is 400-460 pages and can be expanded into more volumes. Lastly Dusty Funk and The Cosmic Creation Comatorium a collection of installation and performance pieces.”
This residency is funded by the Alaska Community Foundation’s Coronavirus NonProfit Relief fund and by the National Performance Network’s Artist Engagement Fund.
Register in advance:
David Brame is proudly blackity black, an afrofuturist and scholar. His most recent scholarly creative accomplishments for 2019 and 2020 include Sanford Biggers: CODESWITCH in collaboration with Professor John Jennings, The Bronx Museum and produced by Yale University Press. His scholarly work geared towards black youth called, is called The Struggle, produced by Minnesota Press. He has a forthcoming graphic novel After the Rain, disseminated by ABRAMS/Megascope. It is a short story written by Nnedi Okorafor and adapted by Professor John Jennings. His comic work explores issues of race and identity in the context of the American South, Black Gothica, mysticism and the African diaspora.
Workshops
Sci-Fi and Futurism in Illustration
Sundays, December 20th, 27th* and January 3rd* on Zoom 12 – 1p
With this workshop we will explore the visual histories of many types of futurism and skepticism in illustration. It is structured as a demonstration workshop on Zoom (12/20) with an option of two follow-up meetings with David (12/27 and 1/3). Afro-futurism/skepticism has been launched into mainstream media with such hits as Black Panther, Get Out and comic adaptations of Kindred. But did you know there were other types? Latinx and Native groups as well as LGBTQI groups are building the visual lexicon for futurists and skeptics alike. In this workshop we will use the lyrical and visual framework developed by contemporary creators such as Octavia Butler and Nnedi Okafor to develop futurist illustrations using traditional and digital techniques. This course can be done in person or online.
*Optional follow-up / Open ZoomStudio available for workshop participants
Comics Cartoons and Graphic Novels
Sundays, January 10th, 17th* and 24th* on Zoom 12 -1p
It is structured as a demonstration workshop on Zoom (1/10) with an option of two follow-up meetings with David (1/17 and 1/24). This is an intermediate and advanced workshop with an emphasis on narrative, sequential art, traditional and digital techniques, and publishing. The workshop will focus on developing a focused sequential story. As a result of successfully completing this workshop, attendees will: Strengthen traditional and digital techniques that pertain to two-dimensional illustration specifically comics. Acquire knowledge of genre specific visual narrative techniques. Explore styles of genre including Fantasy, Science Fiction, Speculative Fiction, Afro-futurism, Horror, Historical, and Pop Surrealism. Strengthen your understanding of genre specific terminology as it relates to genre, illustration, and advanced illustrative techniques.
*Optional follow-up / Open ZoomStudio available for workshop participants