Our “We the Artists” series begins with SF-based artist Rodney Ewing. Our curator and creator for this series, Jacqwi Campbell, spoke with Ewing about his new work and his thoughts on art during social change. 

Ewing’s new collection emerged from a need to funnel his energy during shelter-in-place. Walking to his office 1,000 ft from his home became his new morning commute. Weeks later, he was creating new narratives with old silkscreens.  “I wanted to take old material and make something new out of them,” says Ewing. “Using the vintage paper gives me that extra level of visual depth. It’s as if these things were saved and put aside for someone to see them again.”
Ewing’s pieces meditate on social movements of the past that feel most relevant today and are the result of creatively concentrating on the need to move and stay busy. “Behind the Lines” visualizes the story of Black American soldiers in World War I who put their lives on the line for a country that rejected their rights at home.

“Art always serves as a reflection of the times. It’s a good mirror of our society,” Ewing says. “As an artist, it is more important to create a platform that moves us past alliances and begins a dialogue that informs, questions, and, in some cases, even satires our divisive issues.”

Words by #WeTheArtists Guest Curator Jacqwi Campbell, who is spotlighted Bay Area-based artists from June-August 2020.

Feature Published: June 12, 2020
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