The Neo Negro
Visual artist James Britt uses various forms of media to create satirical allegories. The subjects of these stories range from public figures to pop icons, professional athletes and politicians. However, his alter ego Semaj remains ever-present in each narrative, representative of our need for validation and relevancy within a system governed by subjectivity.
ARTIST STATEMENT
The Neo Negro
Public figures, pop icons, professional athletes, politicians, no matter who we are we’re all subject to a mutable lens that is colored by ascribed identity markers which are manufactured by society. I use satirical allegories to exaggerate these absurdities, cultivating a space where personal and collective conversations occur that inquire about the deeper meanings behind these artificial constructions. My alter ego Semaj L’rae remains ever-present in each narrative, representative of our need for validation and relevancy within a system governed by subjectivity. So as you view the work, embrace your visceral responses regardless where they may lie on the spectrum because we are all producers and actors in this performance.