Termaine Shellman
Artist Statement
I work strongly in the 2 dimensional realm through a combination of drawing and
painting. My materials vary from oil paints and acrylics to various dry media
such as charcoals and graphite. My work often displays my intrigue in the juxtaposition
of various forms of sign and image. Text, maps, and even Egyptian hieroglyphs
are a few of the communicative devises that I use in relation to the more recognizable,
but equally artistic imagery. The figure is also frequently used in my works.
My concepts are not based on the human figure, but rather the human figure is
used to help illuminate the concept.
My work strongly hits on two subjects- race and faith. Through my work I set
out to illuminate the continued covert existence of racism and the destructive
effects it has on people of all races. To deepen the effectiveness of the message
I consistently use Biblical text as a source to illustrate the true power and
importance of Black culture. My work hints at the presence of black culture within
the Biblical text itself to further illustrate true relationship between faith
and race. I also set out to challenge the viewer to question his or her own integrity
through the combination cultural education and spiritual dialogue. The two subjects
are intricately intertwined in my work to allow the viewer to think beyond the
surface imagery to discover to true concept behind the work and quite possibly
something about themselves.
Historically I most consistently view the drawings of Leonardo and the paintings
of Rembrandt for technical purposes such as line quality, color, and paint
application. My contemporary influences are Carri Mae Weems, Kerry James Marshall,
and Ed
Hamilton. All of these artists talk about the African American’s place
in society and history. In the future I see myself continuing on the path of
witnessing and educating the world through art. However, through artistic maturity
the way I go about conveying these issues may alter.