“There’s nothing new under the sun.” How many times have we heard that? Too many to put a number on, but theres a reason why; it’s true. It’s true that history repeats itself. Put an old man in new clothes, he’s still an old man. Because this is true, so is the fact that knowing the past, gives insight into the future. The past is an art all it’s own, and Edwin McSwine documents a very important section of it with his work. A section that carries an incredible legacy. Edwin McSwine.

There’s a lot of pride that shows in your work. Quite frankly unless you’re full blown ignorant, it’s impossible not to be proud of the legacy our people paid for with their lives. Can you articulate for me in words how meaningful that pride is to you, and what purpose it serves in your work both as an artist and a man?

I’ve always been fascinated with our culture, people, heroes, tragedies, and history. My attraction to our experiences in America was a catalyst of inspiration for me, and set forth a recurring theme to explore. That pride transfers over into your own sense of identity knowing that your heritage embodies its own special uniqueness.

It feels like there’s so much that you want to represent in your artwork. I see strength and diversity as some of the strongest characteristics you look to portray, but I’ll let you speak for yourself. What do you want the audience to take away from your art?

One thing is to always remember to pay homage to those who came before you. I hope they walk away feeling some type of connection with piece.

Your work revolves around one of the most solid examples of a legacy known to man. How has that constant contact with it affected your own ideas of legacy? What does the word mean to you, and what legacy do you yourself want to leave?

I just want to leave a strong body of work behind that is not only aesthetically pleasing, but thought provoking.

I’m a firm believer that we are what we do. Everything that you started this journey into your craft with, it represents you. But as with any labor of love, there’s always a point where we realize that as much as we’re giving and investing into the work, the investment is being reciprocated. What has this work given back to you?

It gives you an ideal position in society. You become a visual griot. It not only offers up an outlet to connect with other people, but it gives you a platform to express your competence on various subject matter.

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You can’t tell me the Radio Raheem isn’t Mancave material! Check out all of Edwin McSwine’s work, and inquire about purchasing on his facebook page here

The more time I spent with Katarzyna’s work, the shock value faded and the appreciation and realization set in. For me her work is best described as being “full of insight.” I say this because the majority of her pieces are so close and so bold in nature; they are unafraid and unapologetic of their intensity in emotion. That intensity is unmistakable. You will feel, you will hear, loud and clearly I might add, something from her work. For anything, or anyone to relay a message that clearly, no mixed signals can be in the picture; it’s got to be solid all the way throughout. Nobody makes you get their idea that fast and that strongly unless they are very clear and sure, unless they have insight into what they are relaying to you.

Creating canvases laden with emotion and personal feelings is my necessity, obsession and addiction, never insatiable appetite. Believing in instinct over reason, I am realizing my desire for a free life. I am starting over with every painting. The relation between value of colour and texture is my formula of expressing my vision. Some of the paintings are open – ended, which constitutes effects of saving suppressed emotion. Some of the paintings represent the form threatened and squeezed. Most of them required many sittings as the sudden realization or impatient result can be possible only by accumulated understanding of the theme. Using hands to model paint on canvases and boards, I am transferring feelings and reactions in very physical way. My work is becoming my physical and mental landscape; never-ending story. It is my diary and the way to analyzing and discovering subject. Subject derived from my life, my feelings about it, my weakness, and my every-day observations. Locating this on canvas is like substituting myself.

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Katarzyna’s really building an impressive library of work for herself. Her website is new with most of her latest work here, and you can follow her on twitter as well @Katarinartist

 Dwayne’s work has afforded him much exposure with the right people in high places; foreign travel experiences that have provided new inspiration; and money to fuel his passion. I spoke to Dwayne briefly and asked him about his beginnings, and his desired direction. Unfortunatley we were never able to finish our conversation; however, he did tell me that competition was a huge motivator for him. First within his family, then on an international scale after being blessed to travel abroad.

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Ultimately Dwayne aspires to be an art director, so he is currently pushing himself to diversify. With youth on his side, he’s got a great start. Check out all of Dwaynes work right here on his tumblr

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As you can see, many children need to see strong images of fatherhood. And though the statistics are staggering, I am also doing this project to honor Black fathers like myself: who are there for their children, committed to their families, and dedicated for LIFE to the needs of their children. This statistic, these images, are not reflected in popular culture for whatever reason. I’m changing that.

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Motivated by the doubt of an old college professor that such images would never sell; Cbabi is not only selling, but making a huge impact on his community and people’s lives. Isn’t that what art is all about? Looking at these make me proud to be a dad, and even more excited about my new child on the way. Thank you Cbabi.

You can order one of Cbabi’s paintings, submit for you own custom piece, or simply check out all of his work on his website here

Not everything is about being in touch with your emotions or manifesting the idiosyncrasies of blah blah blah. Some art is just about, catching the eye, and being the one thing that you’ll take home at the end of the day thinking… “That was dope, that was the most interesting thing I saw all day.” Maybe it doesn’t play out exactly like that for you, but I’m just saying… ease up with all the deep stuff for a minute and just enjoy the visual. That’s what husband and wife duo Alex and Jennie are carving their own lane in under the name Urban Attic Atl. Check out their work.

Your imagination is out there Alex. I love the Every Man series. When I first saw it at The Telephone Factory where I met you and your wife, I immediately went from looking to investigating, and breaking it down piece by piece. There’s so much going on and, to the eye, it’s very spontaneous. Tell me about the series, its development, and if that spontaneity is legit, or more so perception.

The Everyman Series was created entirely from my sketch journal that I scribble in when I’m hit with a jolt of inspiration. This typically happens after I have awakened from a deep sleep, hence my title “Dream Journals.” These are really just a brain dump which can end up being very rudimentary line art, or super detailed depictions of whatever is going on in my head at the time. These sketches are then juxtaposed into larger stories which become a sort of visual poetry.

I don’t think there is a specific plan in the beginning of each composition, but as I work through the creative process they begin to reveal a story of their own. I was interested in creating my own character that would eventually become “my signature,” that I could tag around the city with a stencil or a sticker, or whatever. So this bowling ball head was something simple enough, and intriguing enough to merit some exploration I thought. At the time I did not know there was another artist out there who uses the moniker “Everyman” in Atlanta… something to do with tiled monkey faces made of wood?

So when I found that out I was like, “shit! I need to come up with another name for this guy”  (Still working on that part).  Haven’t really gotten around to putting him up on telephone poles or top signs yet either. Who knows, he might just live on these Urban Attic boxes forever?

You have an uncanny ability to pair the vintage with the modern. Color-wise as well as image-wise. It’s always in a way that the two don’t simply share a space, but work together to create one cohesive piece. White Mike is my favorite example of this. What are your standards for that part of the process? I mean can you articulate some of what makes it feel right?

The vintage and modern fusion is something that I see being a very popular theme at the moment. And having not done many shows or festivals, I thought I would try to elaborate upon what my idea of the two might look like.

The first several “mash-ups” that were created using this process yielded very interesting results. With the encouragement of my wife, I just kind of let the ideas fly off the cuff without much regard for refinement.

Looking at this first series I have decided that there are several other things I would like to incorporate in the imagery; which I think Urban Attic fans will like too.  White Mike seems to be a favorite for sure. I think the simplicity, the format and the color palette has a lot of attraction for people in the market for something approachable.  I have gotten mixed responses about the Everyman Series simply because it strikes people as “weird” or “more edgy” than some of the traditional imagery themes we’ve been working on.

Marriage is hard work. It’s all about communication and teamwork. You and your wife are not only married, but business AND creative partners. How does it help with your work, and what are some of the challenges you guys face with working so closely together?

Well, to tell you the truth.  We are not married YET.  Jennie and I have only been engaged since December of 2011 and then we found out in January that she was pregnant! A wonderful surprise for both of us.  So at the moment we are focusing on getting some space ready for the little one (not sure if its a boy or girl as of yet), and just mentally preparing for the huge change in our lives.  We are super excited about being parents and we look forward to our creative journey through the eyes of parenthood.

Medium is just as important as imagery. It adds depth and dimension, therefore taking the image to a whole new level. You two have developed your own niche with such a calculated and unusual combination of materials for your work. Tell me about that discovery process. How did you arrive at using those specific materials and what were some of the challenges you had to overcome to make it work the way you needed it to?

I like to think that the medium is a work in progress still.  We use a blend of screening and ink transfer techniques directly onto a wooden surface then topped with a counter top lacquer similar to what you might find on a bar top.

We were really impressed with how the gloss really helped the color pop off the wall while giving it a very refined and elegant feel.  The gloss is both a blessing and a curse to some degree as it is terribly messy to work with, and it took us a while to really get the feel for the medium.  I have thrown away many-a-piece of art because the mixture was done incorrectly and the gloss never dried.  This resulted in a pretty box which was like untouchable, and as sticky as tree sap.  I had a few sitting outside my old house which eventually became covered with insects and fly’s. Although an interesting thing in itself, probably not something that would be gallery worthy or even appealing to fans of Urban Attic.  Currently I have plans to move forward with more traditional painting sans the glossy finish but rest assured there will be plenty of glossy pieces to go around.

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Urban Attic Atl is all about getting artwork out without breaking anyone’s pockets to enjoy it… ALWAYS a plus. Check out all of their work, especially Meat Matters, as well as their latest showings on their website here