Unmuted: From Beyoncé to Black Lives Matter murals, these artists shed light on the future of Black creativity
Black artists have been cast out of mainstream conversations only to be recognized for their contributions to history after their passing. But with the increasing push to uplift Black artists in real-time, many creators have had opportunities to showcase their excellence in spaces previously closed off to people of color.
Video Transcript
JAYVN SOLOMON: Specifically, public facing black art is so strong because, you know, it breaks down that monolith, right? In that like, people of different backgrounds are able to see it, but we are also able to see, if we are going through something, we're not the only ones going through it.
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TATIANA PILE: Hello. I'm Tatiana Pile. And today, we're going to discuss how art is a form of resistance, rebellion, and revolution. Joining us today, we have two wonderful artists, Janel Young and Javyn Solomon. This year, especially, we've seen more and more art inspired by black people. How are black American artists like Beyone's "Black is King" using their art to pay homage to their roots?
JANEL YOUNG: Knowing who you are and like, root can mean something different to different people, too. But knowing who you are and where you come from I think is super important to just like your personal evolution.
JAYVN SOLOMON: In a country where like, you know, we got English people, we got the Irish flags, we got all these different nationality flags. But like African-Americans don't have that liberty. It's one of several things that is isolating. But working that into the work, like as an artist and designer, I think is the best version of that.
TATIANA PILE: What are some things you've experienced while trying to make your art more accessible and more invisible?
JAYVN SOLOMON: I think being an artist today is interesting. And I realize I say that like I'm an old man. But it's been interesting to even watch the development of like social media and the internet as a millennial. I told myself, you know what? Instead of venting on the internet, I'm going to put it into whatever it is that I want to do.
You know what I care about is my people, my folks, having a sustainable future.
TATIANA PILE: 2020 has been a year, especially for being black in America. A lot of the conversations have been about protecting your mental health and making sure you surround yourself in safe spaces and communities. As artists, have you use your art as a form of therapy?
JANEL YOUNG: Generally speaking, art is very therapeutic for me, especially painting. Like the physical action of doing it is very soothing. I actually started working on my first coloring book. I was struggling with like, how do I put out this really positive thing when we're in such a shitty situation? But then I realized like that is exactly what people needed. I needed to do this thing and put this thing in the world for other people to feel better about everything that's going on.
TATIANA PILE: I am also curious to know how you two both got into art. What kind of inspired you?
JANEL YOUNG: I don't remember like starting to do art. You know? If I could pick up a pencil, I was drawing something. I had some teachers who took an interest in that and started pushing me to learn more techniques. And the thing that stuck with me the most was painting. And I just took it from there.
JAYVN SOLOMON: If I'm being straight about it, like I think it was either Pokemon or something on Nickelodeon. Like something told me, you know what? I want to draw this character.
I've been drawing my whole life and sketching. I got into painting for a little bit. I didn't have the patience for it. That's no slight to Janel. You know, it's just me.
JANEL YOUNG: It's funny that you said like you did painting for a little bit and then you were like, no, this isn't for me. Because once I discovered painting, I was like, wow, I'm so much better at this than drawing. And I was like, I'm good. I'm going to paint stuff now.
JAYVN SOLOMON: And I'm the exact opposite. That's dope.
TATIANA PILE: Well, again, I just want to thank you two so much for the amazing work you've already done, the work that you're going to do. And I'm happy that you were able to engage in this conversation with me today.
