The faces say it all – the sorrows, passions, joys, pain, are all there in the folds of the face, and most of all in the eyes. The faces are portraits of singers, musicians, fighters, actors and comedians. Most all of them are African American, and all are legends. And they can all be seen now through Feb. 28 at I’ve Been Framed on Ferry Street.
The artist is b jAXON (yes, that’s how he spells his name), a Hercules resident who has collaborated with frame shop owner and fellow artist Cathy Riggs to show his work in Martinez, after a successful stint at Hercules City Hall.
“I stumbled into Cathy’s realm,” he said. “She’s inducted me into the Martinez Arts Association. She’s been fabulous.”
His portraits include singers Marvin Gaye and Nancy Wilson, musicians Miles Davis and Louis Armstrong, boxer Mohammed Ali, and comedian Richard Pryor. He has also drawn rock musicians Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana.
“I’ve got hundreds of these portraits. They all evolve from the activity I’m engaged in at the time,” he said. “I get beat down trying to be an artist, then I pick it back up.”
“I’m a multi-media artist,” jAXON said. “There is audio that goes along with the visuals. I’ve definitely got music to go along with the faces. Trying to capture the passionate nature of the performance is what motivates me.”
His portraits definitely reflect that motivation. Many of the pieces show the subjects in the middle of a performance. Others, like the one of blues master Muddy Waters, don’t need more than a facial expression to galvanize the observer into the subject’s world. jAXON’s deft handling of charcoal and pencil on canvas reveal a subtle mastery of the medium that requires close attention to appreciate.
But even a casual observer can see that mastery at work in the eyes of the subjects. Singer Diana Ross looks sorrowful, even though her pose is one of casual happiness, due to the eyes. jAXON captures that dichotomy superbly. Even more contradictory is the sadness in the eyes of late comedian Richard Pryor.
jAXON has big plans for his work. He wants to get a grant that will allow him to bring the portraits and the music that goes with them on a tour of schools, so that young people can see and hear the musical history of their culture.
“It’s important to me that kids know where their music comes from,” he said. “Once they hear it, they understand.”