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PRESS CONTACT:

Dexter Wimberly, Fahamu Pecou Art, Inc.

917.500.7140; dexterwimberly@gmail.com 

Clark Atlanta University Acquires  Fahamu Pecou Painting

 For its Permanent Collection of African American Art

Martyr, Inc. by Fahamu Pecou 2010

(Atlanta, GA) July 11, 2010 – Fahamu Pecou Art, Inc. proudly announces Clark Atlanta University Collections of African American Art’s acquisition of Martyr, Inc. – a painting from Pecou’s acclaimed body of work, ALL FALLS DOWN.

The Clark Atlanta University Collections of African American Art collects, preserves, studies and exhibits fine art works that document American history and culture. The Collections document the American experience from the perspective of black Americans, an epic tale that is at the core of America’s identity. As such the University is dedicated to art that reflects a breadth of experiences of people of African descent living in the United States. The goal of the collection is to maintain and cultivate a representative collection of American art, and to encourage scholarly research giving special attention to the development of African American artists within the historical context of American art.

The suite of paintings, ALL FALLS DOWN, was originally created for and exhibited at Grambling State University, an HBCU in Southern Louisiana.  “When I was first contacted to exhibit my work at GSU, I knew I wanted to do something that would be in conversation with the student body,” Pecou explains. “I wanted to spark conversations with the students and get them to consider visual art as a tool for social change. Martyr, Inc., and the other works in the ALL FALLS DOWN collection takes its cues from the fashion phenomenon of ‘sagging’, a style where young men wear their pants below the hips revealing their underwear. The paintings and video in this series question the popularization of this look, the inherent social commentary made by this fashion statement, as well as the proliferation of celebrated negative behaviors within black male youth culture.”

“This past year it has been my mission to identify art that is current and represents the campus population, while maintaining the distinguished and historical content our collection is known for,” states Sheena Earl, Curatorial Assistant at Clark Atlanta University Galleries. “Pecou’s painting, Martyr, Inc. was a necessary addition to the Clark Atlanta University Art Collection. It is important for the collection because its subject matter is relative to the HBCU environment on so many levels; socially, academically and politically. Since we’ve installed the work visitors, including middle school and high school aged students, have been overwhelmed by the painting’s message, and can’t find the words to express their connection or can’t stop talking about it.”

“Bold in aim and uncomfortable in execution, Fahamu Pecou’s ALL FALLS DOWN confronts prevailing myths of black male identity perpetuated not only by the media, but also by black bodies, caught in a dangerous game of racial representation themselves. Pecou explores the burden of black men and their blues, while at the same time challenging them to step into their own greatness.  Throughout history, doling out the truth comes with a high social tax.  And with ALL FALLS DOWN, Pecou shows that he is willing to bear witness and pay his dues,” states award winning writer, educator and activist Edward M. Garnes, Jr.

ABOUT FAHAMU PECOU

www.fahamupecouart.com

Fahamu Pecou (b. 1975) is an American painter based in Atlanta, Georgia whose intention is to comment on contemporary and hip-hop culture while simultaneously subverting it to include his ideas on fine art.

In 2005, along with several of Atlanta’s premier contemporary artists, Fahamu Pecou made history at Atlanta’s High Museum of Art with the exhibition Arts Beats + Lyrics. Since 2005 Pecou has been featured in several solo and group exhibitions in the U.S. and abroad. His work has been reviewed and featured in numerous publications including Art In America, Harper’s Magazine, NY Arts Magazine, Mass Appeal Magazine, The Fader Magazine, Atlanta Peach Magazine, NY Arts Magazine and on the cover of Artlies Magazine. In 2007, he was named, “Critic’s Choice for Best Emerging Artist” by Atlanta’s Creative Loafing. He was also awarded a “Best in Show” Award for the 2007 Atlanta Biennial. In 2008 Pecou was awarded a residency at the Caversham Centre in Kwazulu Natal, South Africa. Additionally, Pecou’s work was included in “DEFINITION: The Art and Design of Hip Hop”, an anthology chronicling the impact of hip-hop on visual culture, written by famed graffiti artist and designer Cey Adams.

In 2009 Fahamu Pecou’s work was featured in two international solo exhibitions – the first in Cape Town, South Africa and a second during Art Basel in Basel, Switzerland. In 2010, Pecou was named the first-ever Artist In Residence at the Harvey B. Gantt Center of African American Art and Culture in Charlotte, NC. Additionally, he was awarded a fellowship and residency at the McColl Center, also located in Charlotte, NC.

Fahamu Pecou maintains an active exhibition schedule as well as public lectures and speaking engagements at colleges and museums nationwide. Currently his work addresses concerns around representations of black masculinity and how these images come to define black men across generations and geographical boundaries.

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