Artists don’t create society, the reflect it – Ben Elton

Artists have always fascinated me. I’m not sure whether it’s the captivating magic of their work or the understanding of, and wonder at, the complexities that often come tied to it’s creation, but art (and the individuals that create it) has always captured my attention. So when I decided to enjoy a leisurely stroll to Piedmont Park two Saturdays ago, it was only natural that I would stop and enjoy the beautiful painted easels decorating the front entrance.

The artist, André Jamal Walker, self-professed “urban abstraction painter on a global mission to improve the planet with paint”, is a force of nature – in all the most necessary and relevant ways for his craft. Born in Newport, Rhode Island and raised in Oakland, California during the Civil Rights era, Walker was raised by his father, who was twenty years old at the time of his birth (his parents married when they were 18 years of age). As a result, Walker’s father subsequently fulfilled the unique role of ‘big brother’ in his life. According to Walker, this was not only a fun and creatively bustling period in Oakland’s social and cultural history, it was also marred by deep unemployment and almost no economy. This reality translated into different things for different people, but for Walker, it provided a strong foundation of resilience, humility, greatness and gratitude that he stands on to this day for his life and craft.

“Growing up with a single Dad is a whole different vibe,” Walker says, describing his childhood. He grew up in a house, where his father had money, but because of this young age, providing for food, clothes and other basic necessities were not a priority – so much so that he fondly remembers only having bread and tea for meals at least four times a week!

However, this environment only further fostered the creativity out of the Oakland of his youth. When asked about the creativity currently coming out of his hometown, Walker confirms that “the level of creativity is still there, but what is lacking are the venues, the support and the freedom to continue creating and innovating because of the expense and lack of space.”

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A society that forgets art, risks losing its soul – Camille Paglia

The landscape for creativity, art and artistic expression is constantly changing. In America, this evolution has been argued to have stagnated due to a lack of support and structures and consistent funding. Even though this reality exists, the global art market continues to grow, with auction houses around the world recording record-breaking sales for art throughout the course of 2022.

What does this all mean for an artist like André Jamal Walker? A lot – and nothing at all. Even though he did not answer this question himself directly, it is clear from his discourse, actions, and artistic creations that Walker creates not for fame or personal glory, but for himself. Interestingly, he sites both Oakland (California) and New York as centres of American creativity and art creation; however, he acknowledges that he has observed an exodus of established creatives migrating from these locales and, understandably, its consequences are only now being felt, identified, recorded and addressed (this would be a juicy documentary😊).

As a lover of art history, the missing link appears to be patronage. Patronage (the process of securing a financial investor to fund the creation of art for social and cultural purposes) is a system as old as art itself, with some of the oldest and most prolific patrons being institutions (The Vatican City, for instance). Throughout the years, this system was adopted by wealthy families as a token of their wealth and success, as well as an investment. However, one less advertised element is the curation and documentation of current social and cultural phenomena. This element, for me, is most important because the consumption and appreciation of artistic expression does occasionally manifest itself as a “cultural norm” – whether beneficial or not – and more interestingly, Walker consciously addresses this succinctly in his process, style and curated influences.

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Art, freedom, and creativity will change society faster than politics – Victor Pinchuk

André Jamal Walker has a unique creative process; a process that not many artists can claim to be successful at. Walker paints where living occurs. My experience with him began when we met on the sidewalk in front of the entrance to Piedmont Park, but he paints everywhere – and potentially on everything. Interacting with him, one will realise that his creative process is directly linked to his inspiration, which is the people that come into contact with him on a daily basis.

“Art has evolved and emerged from something that the rich would have and everybody else would have a knock-off of.”

To say Walker is passionate about making his art accessible to the common person, is an understatement. In fact, every element of his creativity is structured to evolve around the “everyday person”, delving deep into the psyche of the random encounters he has, and reveals on his canvas. Walker’s art is stylistically unique and finds inspiration from the work of seminal artist, Jean-Michel Basquiat. Like Basquiat, Walker draws on his creative passion, which is made up of his own origins, ideologies and experiences.

Of black American, Filipino and French Creole descent, Walker leans on his cultural roots as the point from which all his creativity emanates and this is illuminated throughout his process, the places he chooses to create, where he finds inspiration, as well as his style. Framing his art within what he calls ‘the four-way intersection between music, art, entertainment and sports, Walker highlights how much each section has evolved, and this change is a key feature of his work. Searching for the similarities, Walker often leaves a social and/ or cultural commentary on the canvas that links his work, not only to current events, but also to a past life in sports, entertainment and a love for music.

Check him out most Saturdays at Piedmont Park and make sure to follow him and his adventures on Instagram here.