"I am first and foremost a singer. But I believe in
the above quote by Gwendolyn Brooks. I believe we have to accept the political
realities of our bodies and do what one must do to live our lives with truth,
justice, love and discipline. The
integrity of the soul is the most important thing to me: Nothing else. Without
that, we loose what it means to be human. When we compromise our integrity, we
become neurotic, manipulative and mean—off balance. So, my visual work is the
Fight before the Fiddle song."
--Kwelismith
"Lark" (right) 9 x 10 Boxed Art by Kwelismith
The
dictionary definition of Lark is an Old
World songbird brownish in color. In this art work, the driftwood bird is
so determined to sing that it has altered the shape of the box that contains
it. Flapping its wings and singing, the bird has chipped away at the box
distorting it. There is another bird in the box—a back up singer supporting her
song and fiddle. The curtain is clear plastic half open, half closed. Lark is
bowing after the 7th curtain call.
12 Bar Blues (left) Photo Collage by Kwelismith
Visit the Performance page to learn more about 12 Bar Blues and Kweli's performance art.