Broken Standards, 2025
Beginning at the bottom of the artwork and moving upward, we see biblical psalms written as fractions - signalling a departure from their traditional use by Hoodoo practitioners, who employed them as incantations for protection and comfort within a cultural tribe known as the Blues People.
To the left stands a Conjure Woman adorned with a gardenia, symbolizing the magic of botanical arts. The flower foreshadows its later fame as the signature adornment of a songstress whose tender yet bold voice would stir the human soul. The Conjure Woman places her hands on a sound destined to break artificial human boundaries.
Opposite her is a member of the Prince Hall Masons, wearing a red fez. He channels sacred knowledge, the occult, and spiritual faith into the body.
Above them both looms Cerberus, the multi-headed dog from Greek mythology, better known for guarding the gates of the underworld. In this context, however, Cerberus symbolizes the institutions and forces that seek to suppress those who wield a sound specifically designed to defy constraints and shatter standards.
Next, we encounter the practitioners of jazz as they embark on the Herculean task of breaking free from the conformity of the Swing Era, the constraints of segregation, and the white dominance of the music industry. Pushing the frontiers of sound, the emergence of Bebop rises to meet this challenge and is depicted by two musicians: one on drums and the other on piano as they perform at breakneck speed, embodying a David-and-Goliath struggle. Bebop is represented here by a slingshot and stone to the left, while to the right stands the Philistine giant, marked by a protruding eye, a red headdress, and a pointed sword.
Finally, as jazz continues its journey of overcoming boundaries through its democratic spirit and improvisational genius, we see a trumpeter and a hip-hop DJ working side by side. Together, they honor the tradition of expressive freedom and creative collaboration and are poised to break yet more boundaries through sound.
