All content © Ward Jenkins unless otherwise noted.
b-boy
My first solo show at the Grassyknoll Gallery from October to November 2008. Portland, OR.
Artist Statement:
b-boy is a tribute to the early boogie boys of the Bronx, the original poppin’ & lockin’ dancers who kept the parties live back in the day, back when hip-hop was in its golden, embryonic stage. Using various “lo-fi” materials and surfaces, such as found cardboard, wood, and linoleum, Ward harks back to the essence of the early ingenuity and innovation of hip-hop. During the 70’s and early 80’s, kids used a wide variety of surfaces to dance on and perform stylized acrobatic moves. Using what was available, they proved again and again that the brightest sources of creativity often come from the most humble of places. b-boy is a tribute to the beginnings of that movement, before the uninformed media brought it to near-fad status.
Mediums:
Acrylic, india ink, marker, pencil, gesso, and primer on various materials: wood, linoleum, cardboard and formica.
freeze 1
stance
toprock 3
toprock 1
on the floor 5
on the floor 4
cypher
in the air 2
freeze 2
kangol
on the floor 3
pose
toprock 2
in the air 1
backspin
headspin
freeze 3
on the floor 1
on the floor 2
