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LARRY PONCHO BROWN
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LARRY PONCHO BROWN
F ORE WORD
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eveloping a readily recognizable aesthetic as a practicing visual artist is very crucial to separate yourself from other artists. This aesthetic will create a demand for an artistĂs brand and creativity. The learning process to establish a signature style helps to create an organic customer loyalty and commitment to the artist's brand. The business of art requires that a visual artist create unique and remarkable compositions and themes. Poncho's artistic works exposes the fantastically successful art business of Larry Poncho Brown whose art compositions and themes are saturated with vivid colors. During the past twenty years, he has been an artist to watch and his works the ones to collect by collectors because of the energy contained in his innovative artistic creations. Impressively, he has won numerous awards for his creativity in the highly competitive world of art. Poncho, who by the way, loves the excitement that a challenge offers, has immersed himself, since he was a young lad, into creating unique art objects that then as well as now echo a strong universal urban cultural content. Notably, Poncho's artistic beginnings were stimulated by his beginning professional art career as a signwriter painting stylistic letters on billboards and buildings around the city in Baltimore, Maryland. Poncho's mastery of sign art made it easy for him to transition as a trail blazing visual artist to watch during the emergence of the digital age and become an effective communicator of his artistic aesthetic and skills to followers of his brand through the use of present day social media communication vehicles. As a young emerging artist, Poncho forged forward
with strong determination to achieve and expand his "BIG" dream to become a professional artist of influence. To make his dream a reality, he focused daily on establishing an end game strategy that reinforced his surging aspiration to become an accomplished artist -- even if he had to make daily modification adjustments. He developed a guiding triangle principle consisting of perseverance, enjoyment, and hope. The compilation of works contained in this book will spark intrigue as you look at his monochromatic compositions of the body of unique work produced by Poncho. Interestingly, the works presented reveal a special continuity of the ebb and flow of Poncho's life as he consciously dabbled with radical art concepts. The materials, surfaces, and paints and cutting edge technology that he used resulted in the output of a high volume of works about everyday life, and much more. As a longtime frontline champion in the business of art, Poncho has been arousing the interests of art collectors with impressive art creations. His work embodies iconography and his artistic contributions warrant investigation of inclusion into the sphere of art creativity by a contemporary class of innovative visual artists. As you react with inquisitiveness to the unique stylized works presented herein, it will become clear to you that Poncho did not waste any of the years of his study of art. As you note his courage to experiment with his ideas, take notice through this documentation of his earnest attempts to develop a creativeness that is now recognizably his style that causes collectors and institutions to have a high demand for his creations. As a result, Poncho has emerged as an influential modern visual arts master.
Although the details of his creativity might not be obvious, his insight allowed him to integrate his accumulated knowledge of art to sustain a creative flow to bring into existence intended art objects that he worked on. The creation of diverse works of art that were created in his studio and featured in this book cause excitement, wonder, and a sense of magic for the viewers of Poncho's artistic expressions. From the data points shared through this fascinating art review highlighting the artistic career and transformed growth of Poncho as a visual artist, it is critical to pay attention to the technique used, gesturing, movement, layering of materials, compositions, and the inclusion of compelling cultural subject matter to gain insightfulness of Poncho's versatility as a modern American master artist. As you look at the featured works presented that Poncho created, note that he harmonized his art education with creativity and became the inventor of the diverse artistic style of the art of Poncho. Now, prepare yourself for a visual treat as you flip the pages of a very special hand-selected compilation of 24 diverse works by Larry Poncho Brown that span from the early 2000's. This book provides an enriching broad glimpse of the amazing talent and evolution of a modern 21st century master visual artist success. — Dennis L. Forbes Sebrof-Forbes Cultural Center
Blue Collar Blues Mixed Media Collage on Paper 22.5� x 30" 2007
A R T IS T S TAT E ME N T
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lack Lives DO Matter. A current term that has the power to unify and divide. This black and white collage series brings light to the ugliness of racism and bigotry that we have witnessed in the past, and unfortunately to the present. Hard to believe that we are still divided in the 21st century as our country claims a path of diversity and inclusion. These images depict the pain, the struggle, and the perseverance of a people as they triumph over adversity through the subjects of African American civil rights, police brutality, black male identity, women’s rights, the miseducation of our children, image degradation at the hands of the media, apartied, the devastation of hurricane Katrina, sexuality, and love. It is my hope that the images will open dialogue on the subject of self-validation.
In His Hands Mixed Media Collage on Paper 27” x 55” 2011
There is nothing more powerful than a black and white image. The past decade I began doing collage works again. Most are acrylic based mixed media collages on paper or canvas composed with civil rights periodicals from the 60’s and 70’s, articles, and newspaper features. The words draw you in closer. The newspaper symbolically represents all the issues we deal with day to day. I also use U.S. currency, lottery tickets, book manuscripts, and a few hidden photographs.
“In between the contrast of black and white, unity can be found in the grays.” -Larry Poncho Brown
A Man Of Vision Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 20� 2008
Apartheid Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 18” x 24” 2011
The Man Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 22.5” x 30” 2007
Refugee, Evacuee? Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 30” x 40” 2017
TV Watching Me Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 12” x 36” 2006
Waitin By Da Phone Mixed Media Collage on Paper 12” x 36” 2006
A Pondered Future Mixed Media Collage on Paper 22” x 30” 2006
That Gentle Stare Mixed Media Collage on Bamboo 18� 2008
After The Storm I Mixed Media Collage on Paper 22” x 30” 2016
After The Storm II Mixed Media Collage on Paper 22” x 30” 2016
Your Midnite Snack Mixed Media Collage on Paper 12” x 36” 2006
Thinkin’ Boutchu Nite and Day Mixed Media Collage on Paper 12” x 36” 2006
If Only For One Nite Mixed Media Collage on Paper 29” x 40” 2005
Always Reading Between The Lines Mixed Media Collage on Paper 29” x 43” 2007
A Radical View Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 20� 2011
Lookin’ 4 Luv Mixed Media Collage on Bamboo 18” 2008
The Inquisitive One Mixed Media Collage on Bamboo 18� 2009
What About My Heart Mixed Media Collage on Bamboo 18” 2009
Gimme Back My Heart Mixed Media Collage on Bamboo 18” 2009
Earthen Spirit Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 41” x 44” 20164
Profiled Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 24” x 36” 2013
Face Of Innocence Mixed Media Collage on Canvas 24” x 36” 2007
BIOGR A P H Y
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arry Poncho Brown is a native of Baltimore, MD. Poncho received his Bachelors of Fine Arts degree in graphic design and photography from the Maryland Institute College of Art, Baltimore, MD. His art, both fine and commercial, has been published nationally in Upscale, Ebony, Ebony Man, Essence, and Jet magazines. His art is featured in the UCLA Fowler Museum of Cultural History book entitled “Wrapped In Pride” and “Connecting People With Art”. His popular works have been prominently featured on several TV shows including “A Different World”, “In The House”, “The Wire”, “The Carmichael Show”, “Star”, and “Greenleaf”. Movies featuring his art include “Avalon”, “He Said, She Said”, and “Soulfood”. His work adorns the walls of the likes of Bill Cosby, Dick Gregory, Anita Baker, Susan Taylor, Ed Gordon and Bernard Bronner just to name a few. His original works are in the corporate and institutional collections of Coppin State University, the Charles H. Wright Museum of African American History, the District of Columbia Superior Courts, the Children’s Hospital of Richmond at Virginia Commonwealth University, and Yale New Haven Health Park Avenue Medical Center. He was one of many artists often referenced as “The Popular Artists” who gained national recognition during “The Cosby Show” era, and found commercial success between 1985-2000 during a period known as “The Golden Age of African American Art”, by making their art accessible to the masses through
direct participation in community art and cultural festivals, foregoing the traditional artist arrangement of artist representation, gallery representation, and art publisher distribution. At the height of this era his works were sold in 3000 galleries across the country, and on the walls of nearly 500,000 homes. His art, both fine and commercial, has been published nationally in Art Trends, U.S. Art Gallery, Images, Upscale, Ebony, Ebony Man, Essence, and Jet Magazines. In pursuing his philanthropic goals, he founded “Raising The Arts” which provides fundraising opportunities for non-profit organizations. He has created over 70 images for such organizations over the past three decades. Poncho was awarded “Artist of the Year” by the African American Visual Arts Association in 2000, the “Heritage Arts Festival Palette Award” in 2003, and the “Save the Arts Award” as Museum’s Choice in 2010, and “The Jan Spivey Gilchrist Visual Arts Award” in 2013.
“The African American art realm has been pressing onward because of the positive images that have become a narrative of our perseverance. My works attempt to capture SOUL while purposely depicting positive representations of African American culture. Art and imagery are the strongest forms to challenge the perceptions of African Americans in our society.” — Larry Poncho Brown