Mickalene Thomas is an internationally-respected visual artist and filmmaker. She captures what some call “unconventionally” beautiful women and adorns them with rhinestones, bright colors and intricate patterns.
For her most recent work, “Happy Birthday to a Beautiful Woman” which premiered on HBO on February 24, Thomas commemorates the life of her late mother who was also her muse. In this beautiful dedication, Thomas translates her mother’s resilience and perseverance into bodies of work entitled “Mama Bush.”
Thomas describes the work of an artist as “creating a world, an illusion. You say, I have this idea. Believe it. Come with me on this journey’; it’s sort of a visual manipulation.”
With an exacto knife, she carves smiles, hair, and rhinestone littered pathways through her interpretation of life experiences.
“Everything we do is autobiographical. It may not be you directly .. .but you put your energy into it. You may not be the sitter, the subject or the muse but they’re semi-autobiographical, they’re about my experiences and interests, an extension of who I am. It’s your job as an artist to take [audiences] on a journey,” she continues.
It’s not all fantastical imagery, Thomas takes photos and paint images of real women and titles the collection “227” which can be described simply as women who make subtle political and societal statements.
“I had someone describe my work as so – ‘227’ – and I thought about that TV show and I thought about those women on that TV show and I said yes it is 227. That show depicted real women, everyday women. If that’s the case, my work is very 227.
“Many of the women I’ve photographed I use them over and over again. Some of the women I’ve photographed I’ve used for the last 8-10 years. People think that they’re different women. They’re the same women; they’re just chameleons.
“I’m interested in my work , whether the audience is aware or not, of giving indicators of some political impact,” she finishes.
