Interview: Infamous JeanClaude "Trinity of Oneness"
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| Infamous JeanClaude, "Frequencies in Fractions," digital collage |
We are excited to see Infamous JeanClaude grinding on a new body of work for his upcoming collaborative show, "Trinity of Oneness," in Charlotte, NC with Cedric Umoja and Dogon Krigga. Thanks to the artist for spending time catching up with us.
You've been on a hiatus from making work. How has your style or practice evolved since your last show?
Yeah. I was creating sporadically throughout last year, but this was the first year in a very long time that I didn't have a consistent flow with my art. I was dealing with some depression and was uninspired. These two issues had me in a choke hold for over a year. It felt so weird because I have thousands of ideas in my head but I was super unmotivated. It was a very awkward and tough period.
Once I climbed out of my depression and got my health issues under control it was like a windshield wiper cleared my brain and I was about to create more freely. My style has become a lot more loose, especially my graphic work, but I still have my elements of abstraction and clean lines in my pieces. I'm pretty excited to see how my style has unfolded/will unfold since last year.
I also haven't done a group or solo show in about two or three years because I have been doing more commissions for musicians and clothing lines.
How does your studio practice vary when you're painting versus when you are making digital work?
When I'm painting, it's usually just me with the canvas, paints and music blasting in my headphones. I probably got some incense going and my snacks near. I'm not really on my phone or anything when I'm working on paintings. I usually like to zone out and really take in the pieces that I'm working on. If you've ever seen that scene in the movie Basquiat where he plays the same song over and over but is working on like seven big pieces at once, the feeling is like that but a lot of smaller pieces and a smaller studio space.
Working digitally is similar but a little more free. I can be mobile with my work so I can work in a library or a coffee shop. When I need breaks I might surf the internet or check up on social media here and there. It's a little more sporadic but I have moments just like painting when I'll
stare at the composition for a long time or maneuvering one piece 50 times until I find the right space for it to fit the composition.
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| Infamous JeanClaude, "Float Like/Strong Like (Me, Myself and I)," digital collage |
What is your connection to the other artists in Trinity of Oneness?
Cedric Umoja is like a spiritual advisor and mentor to me. We're always diving deep in conversation on how to expand our craft and become better alchemists to speak to the masses. We've always talked about collabing over the years but we both have been busy, so this was perfect timing for both of us. I haven't formally met Dogon Krigga yet but I have been following his work for a few years now. It's interesting between us because we seem to fall in the same frequency a lot of times with our work, which is dope. That's why we all came together for this show. We all have similar themes and ideals but we show them in different ways. It was only right that we came together for a group show to get that good energy and vibes triple the source to the people.
Your work tends to be a narrative for your personal philosophy and spiritual experiences. Are there any specific themes present in this new body of work?
This new body of work is based around past life regressions, my ancestors, my heritage, life/death and the future. There's been a lot of important people passing in 2016 and I believe that is telling us there's going to be a big shift. I believe artists and musicians are going to be a part of the big shift of consciousness and I'm just trying to get people thinking like the artists that are in this show. This show is called "Trinity of Oneness." This is saying that we are all connected in some form and we are drawn to those who understand this idea.
It is also balance: me, myself and I / Ego, Self, Understanding : Trinity
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| Infamous JeanClaude, "Golden Aura Angel," digital collage |
What's your view on collective consciousness?
I believe are all connected. We just have to take ourselves outside of religion, tradition, school conditioning, loyalty ( by fear), etc. in order find our purpose, which will link you with like minds. It becomes a continuous cycle until it spreads into universal love. You just have to think, "What is my purpose? What is my gift?" and use that gift to help others unlock and understand their gifts.
We are also entering into a thought realm of manifesting and creating. Feminine energy, I believe, will become prominent and will start balancing out the masculine energy that has been dominating our society for a long time. This is where the creatives will step in, bringing the half into a whole, helping push unity/oneness.
Favorite studio snack?
My go-to is anything gummy. Gummy, bears, gummy worms, etc. (Even though my brother showed me a video on how they are made and I probably should stop eating them.... but Ive been addicted since birth haha).My secondary choices that usually end up going with the gummy snacks are plain Lays, pretzels, water, and apple juice.
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| Collage by Dogon Krigga |
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| Illustration by Cedric Umoja |