“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

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

I believe in truly believing in yourself. Being authentic and letting your heart guide you. I believe what’s meant to be will be, and everything happens for a reason. And I believe in great music.

I asked another artist this same question and got an interesting response. But seeing many similarities between you and I, I am even more intrigued to see your response. I always feel the responsibility to teach and to lead others through my artistry; especially music. As much as I loved to do it, it also felt like my job to do it in return for the blessing of the talent. With your level of talent and intellignece what responsibility, if any, do you feel to yourself, the art, and the people?

I feel like I have to give the listener the truth. I honestly feel like it’s up to me to give people what they’ve been missing and what they’ve always wanted but still give them something familiar. I put that on myself.

And on top of all of that staying true to me and my story, and the things that go on in my mind. Nothing fabricated. If I give you something that isn’t me, I’m fooling you.

What is the most important quality a leader should have?

I would say understanding. Being able to understand your situation. Understanding you have people following you. Understanding people in general. Being able to reason in times of adversity.

It’s great to know your strengths, but for the sake of improvement it is even better to know your weaknesses. What area of yourself are you focused on improving as a man?

I’m working on being more dependable. I am now but I could be better. I could be better at a lot of things. Each day is a new opportunity for me to become greater. As I evolve in my artistry, I see the same eveolution in my personal life.

The creative side is always fun, and most artists don’t necessarily enjoy the business side of their art. In my opinion, money/business always does more damage to an art than good. That makes me a walking contradiction though because as much love and as many hours as I put into the creative side, I enjoy handling the business side of things. Copyrights + Publishing Company= Longevity and Royalties. A good camera + A small but dedicated team + A dope live show= An Independent Artist with Major Deal Leverage. Where does business fall on the priority list and do you enjoy the work and strategy of it all?

Business is just one of things you HAVE to deal with. As a creator, it can be a pain in the ass. I honestly do my best to give people my art with no compromising and no filters. That’s the joy of being an independent artist building your own fan base and career. Because as soon as the major players come around, they realize you’ve done it all on your own by being true to yourself. And if the fans and supporters yell loud enough, they have no choice but to let you do what you’ve been doing.

We all want to make money and it makes it better when you get paid to do what you love. I just don’t let the business interfere with my art too much. As I become more of a boss, I do my best to seperate it but still find the marriage.

There are so many pros that come from being a multitalented artist who can create an entire project. The cohesiveness of the music has a greater chance of being damn near perfect, as compared to a two-man-team or a project with 4-6 different producers. However; there are pros and cons to everything. In your opinion, what are the cons to being a one man show when it comes to the creation of your artwork?

I’m my worst critic. It’s usually just me in a room. And I’m so hard on myself. Its very time consuming but I really do love creating by myself. Not saying I can’t collaborate with others or that I’m difficult to work with.. I just do my best work by myself. I come up with songs very quickly but recording and mixing takes up most of my time. And I do that all by myself.

I read an interview where you spoke on how you’re a big fan of movies and tv shows and I think that’s exactly how an artist should be. Appreciation for the work, execution, and artistry that goes into these other forms of art help to fuel and develop your own efforts and creativity. What have you seen/listened to lately that’s manifested itself in your work?

I recently watched a documentary on Pearl Jam. Just watching their story really sparked something in me. I just wrapped up season 6 of Dexter. I had to catch up. That show really challenges my mind and me as a man. I’ve been listening to a lot of early grunge as well. Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam. The stuff I used to listen to when I was younger, but I appreciate it much more now.

How do you view the concept of change? What purpose has change served for you in the past and currently with your work?

Change is all part of evolution. It’s really the key to growth in my opinion. You can’t go anywhere if you continue to do the same things and acheiving the same results. Last year I had to change my stage name and by doing that, I walked into a whole new world that I wouldn’t have seen if I didn’t push my pride aside and change.

You showed much versatility with Something About Bowie. Where do you feel you should improve to create a better project the next time around?

I’m constanly sharpening my skills. Singing, Rapping, Producing, Songwriting. Even down to breathing and cadances. I push myself to make something better than the greats. I know what it takes, I’m just taking the mandatory steps.

Speaking of next time around, what’s next for Forte Bowie?

I’m dropping my newest project Passion & Confusion this Spring. I love this project. My best to date. It shows progress and improvement as well as gives you way more insight on me as an individual. Very personal. But on top of all of that, the music is amazing. I produced the whole project. To me this is the game changer.

One thing about me… I am EXTREMELY picky when it comes to music; songwriting especially. That’s why this is probably my favorite feature thus far; because Kirby Lauyren is not just a great voice, but an excellent songwriter and all-around talent. In any craft, consistency is the name of the game. It’s what sets you apart, and elevates your talent. How consistent are you with your craft? Do you do it every day? How bad do you want it? How about writing a new song and performing it every day for consistency? Kirby Lauryen does…

As artists we all want our work to be appreciated/successful. What differentiates us is what level of success we wish to attain and what exactly we consider as success. That being said, what makes you feel successful?

You know this is an interesting question, because success is just not that simple. I say this humbly, but I’ve always dreamed of being a multiple Grammy award winner you know? That to me is a part of being musically successful. But, when I see people do covers of my songs, I feel musically successfully as well. So success for me musically is having the feeling of being successful, and the criteria to back it up.

What I like about your work is your clear understanding of the importance of versatility. Attitude, song structure, melody, vocal pattern, range, subject matter; the list goes on as far as you want to take it. How have you developed that versatility? Is it something you’ve made a conscious effort to do? And how do you keep yourself inspired to push your own envelope?

I think versatility comes from expanding your ears. Choosing to listen to what can grow your sound rather than what simply gives you listening pleasure. When I was younger I listened to a lot of Southern Hip Hop, and 90s R&B, so consequently my melodies were somewhat limited. It wasn’t until my senior year in high school that I made a conscious commitment to listen to Jazz. I knew that if I wanted to get better I had to listen to things beyond what was being offered to me.

I will admit, there wasn’t an instant connection to Jazz. At that age, I was always tempted to trade Miles Davis for Ludacris, but I think something in me started to change. I didn’t know it then, but I can see it now. I think what keeps me inspired to push my own envelope is that I am never comfortable. I rarely go back to a song I’ve written and listen to it out of leisure. So my attachment is to the process, not the product.

Completing a song a day shows much effort, ambition, and commitment to a goal. Most of all it shows sacrifice; sacrifice for your dream. But let’s flip it, what would you be willing to sacrifice your dream for? What would you willingly leave all of your hard work, late nights, and invested emotion in the past to become only fond memories and nostalgic moments for?

Yikes! That’s a wonderful question that I don’t think I’ve considered. I will say this, the one thing I value in life moreso than anything that’s tangible; more than a person, more than a dream, is peace of mind. Being able to find a quiet in my mind. Forgive the John Mayer reference, but there’s nothing worse than having too many thoughts and not being able to quiet them. So if the dream didn’t come alongside with clarity, then I couldn’t pursue it. Thankfully, it does!

“Time is wise and love is ignorant”. That is the line that solidified my interest in doing this interview. I appreciate your ability to take such large concepts of life and make them tangible to us with human characteristics. It gives us a glimpse of your experiences, opinions, and vulnerability which earns respect from the real fans of music. That being said I’d like to know how you define in your own words a few concepts:

Time- The space in which we live.
Love- To feel it is easy, to live it is hard.
Wisdom- God.
Pain- A prerequisite for humility.

I’d like to know more about your values musically and personally:

Talent or Work Ethic? Work Ethic
Great Melody or Dope Line? Melody
Teach or Learn? Learn
Hook or Verse? Hook
Faith or a Sure Thing? Faith
Imagination or Experience? Do I have to choose? Ok, Imagination.

A true leader is one who takes what they have learned, and uses his/her influence to make others around them better. I specifically asked about your desire to teach vs. learn because as an artist I always feel the weight of the responsibility to lead- to teach by sharing what I have learned. It acts as a constant motivator for me. Do you feel a similar responsibility to your audience?

I don’t know if I feel the responsibility of being a teacher, moreso a messenger. I feel the responsibility to say what no one else is saying, to speak on things that would expose my personal weaknesses or experiences.

I went through an extremely private period in my life, and I was learning so many things about life, yet I wouldn’t express them to anyone. I think it’s that time period of learning; yet learning selfishly that has forced me to lay it all out now. I have no secrets, no questions that I won’t answer. And If someone can learn from that, then I feel as if I’ve served people well. I don’t consciously carry the weight of teaching, but I do feel indebted to telling the truth in my music.

In the words of Ms. Badu, “The man that knows something knows that he knows nothing at all.” What do you want to know? I mean our experiences are who we are; and who we are is our light… our love. The more we experience through relationships, pursued passions, and just overall life; the more opportunities we are afforded to brighten our light, and deepen our love. So what do you want to know; what area/characteristic of love do you feel distant and immature of?

YES BADU! She’s the QUEEN! I think the one thing I would like to learn is how to receive.

I am a giver by nature, and honestly we always say “ I want someone to love me” but to actually receive someone forgiving you, or sacrificing for you, doing for you when you don’t deserve is hard. I don’t identify with that outside of my family. So I think I won’t be a complete person until I learn how to be on the other side of love. Now that last line sounds like a song title, huh? Lol but it’s true.

Love this songs progression/Both parties in a relationship play the hero at some point in every relationship

“Lose His Mind” is one of my favorites because of your character in the performance. That’s the part that separates a talented person from a well-rounded artist and performer. You embody the spirit of the song so well in every aspect from voice, to facial expression, and posture. It was dope to see you talk your shit but not lose yourself or any quality in the process. Tell me about that song and how it came about

Well thank you! The first lines that came to me for that song were, “you won his hand, but you’re losing his mind. I’ll get him back one thought at a time.”

I typed that in my phone the night before, and then slept on it. When I woke up the next morning, I was trying all these other melodies and lines but nothing felt right. But I remembered I had written something down last night, and everything just started to flow. I knew it was going be an R&B song, so the melody & style came natural for me.

It’s funny because I was in the Stax Academy choir my senior year of high school, and my teacher burned me a CD and “Woman to Woman” by Shirley Brown was one of the songs on it. And all I could think about when I was writing that song was, “Woman to Woman” and how real that storyline was. So yeah that song came very natural to me, it was fun for me to write the story and become that character.

What is the next step for you after “A Song A Day?”

After “A Song A Day” I hope I can check a few goals off my criteria list for Success, emotionally and physically. Release my monthly EP’s and my album. Put name on some documents that say I am officially a signed artist, and reach more people with my music. Wherever I am, I’ll be learning with a peace of mind.

Personally I think it would have been unfair of me to put any other picture in place of this one to serve as the introduction of our latest feature D Lammie Hanson. It’s just that this one sums her up better than any other to me… She’s an artist. My wife and I had the pleasure of meeting her at the Telephone Factory Art Showcase in Atlanta, Ga where we were thrilled to hear her speak with so much passion about what she loves and who she is. So it was only right that we bring this feature to you. IVYBetty… D Lammie Hanson.

You spoke so passionately about texture and how you use it in your work. Tell me what appealed to you in the beginning of it all, color or texture; and describe your affinity for it.

When I first started painting, texture and color were not in the mix of any painting I did. I was not into color at all. I was very much into Black and White like B/W photography and film. And my work reflected it in the beginning. If I did put color in, it would be a vibrant red for the lips.

“Just groovin with the best of crew… Don’t you feel the music to their step. Celebrate that life you have.”

Not only have I read it, but when we spoke you expressed a deep sense of faith and spirituality. At times when I write music I am so in tune and at peace that my pen takes on a mind of it’s own. Tell me about how your spirituality coincides with your artwork both musically and when painting.

In the vein of visual art, my paintings were cathartic. It was a way to give the subject a voice to share their heart and soul in a time of yearning to be heard and seen. I don’t know if that taps into spirituality but I think it goes into faith of the voice and soul. It was where I was at the time.

Sometimes I look at a painting and feel it painted itself. Visual Art became my loud silent partner who spoke for my soul when I couldn’t. Creating beauty to make myself beautiful. I now know that I am beautiful on my worse days, as well on my best days.

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In the vein of my music, I’m more subtly spiritual. Music is a big part of my life and sanity. Music helps make the paintings happen 95% of the time for me. But as a singer/songwriter I write lyrics with divine optimism in mind. In 1997, I discovered the band, Jars of Clay’s song, “Flood”. I’m an Alternative Rock Baby. I didn’t know anything about Christian Rock at the time. Being raised Catholic, I was able to identify with the biblical references in the song and I loved it. It was quite uplifting.

At the time I was an agnostic Catholic and I hit a rough patch after a heart-wrenching breakup. I renewed my faith with a more intimate relationship with God. Jars of Clay had another song called “Love Song for a Savior” and I was hooked on writing lyrics on intimate inspiration and love. You can apply the lyrics to “man” or God.

Have you ever been criticized about your artwork from a spiritual standpoint? I mean, someone attempting to label you or your work as blasphemous/against your faith? How did/would you handle it?

I never got picked on for my faith or my work as blasphemous. I’m catholic. I have inspiration like the Sistene Chapel or images like David. The human body and face were the road maps to storytelling. You can’t knock that.

The only criticism that I had ever gotten that got my attention was that my work wasn’t “Black enough.” I don’t paint to be black or “black enough.” I paint because I can and I love it. Being Black is a given. I’m a black woman. You can’t measure a person’s “Blackness” because their eyes see something other than what you see. You have other artists that will carry that torch. Do you need another one? I’ve always saw the world with my own individual eyes, then as a woman, then as a black person. In that order. I don’t have a problem with it.

No matter how much we as artists do the work out of love, there is always the business side of things. How have you managed to be able to handle/balance the business of being an artist in a way that does not subtract from what you love?

I do it out of faith. I’m the only one that can make the art I make. I am still learning the balance of success vs failure and trail and errors. I’ve taken some risks that can be humiliating failures. I’ve learned that I could try to make something that I think people will buy and then those same people will prove me wrong by buying my personal original pieces.

Lesson here: whether it’s music or art, your audience knows what truly came from your heart. Your pure vision and talents shine brighter than a prefabricated whim. And then you find your reasonably pricing system to find your worth… and run with it.

Many of your works give insight into the emotion and character of human beings, most commonly women, but men as well. What is your favorite emotion to illustrate through your artwork? Is this the emotion that you yourself find inspiration and create from most often?

Warmth and sensuality, it always flows through me into the paintings. The world just seems so disconnected and through my work I want people to know each other again. See each other, hear each other, feel each other’s presence. It’s not sexual but sensual.

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In your eyes what are some of the biggest and most noteworthy differences between men and women?

In my observation, women are communicators above their necks while men were allowed to express themselves below the necks. I focus on the eyes, lips and the position of the head of women because that is their main focus of communicating. Men’s bodies are their voice. Their strength, weakness, tiredness and virility can all be communicated through their shoulders and chest area.

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Music is another passion of yours, more specifically songwriting and singing. Does music help you to articulate an area of yourself that painting does not?

Oh Lord, Yes!!!! In painting or sketching, it is a journey to complete the artwork. In writing songs and singing, it is a continuous joy ride per song and within the song I hit certain notes throughout and I get many moments of happy. I do it because I love it. My first love of creative appreciation was music then visual art.

Tell us about Perceptive Arts Magazine and what you aspire to do with it.

Artists always come up with concepts on series. Behind those concepts are stories that usually get interpreted by a viewer who doesn’t personally know the artist. This magazine will focus on a particular concept of a living artist who has created a particular series of artwork with the majority of the commentary, explanation, expose, analysis or whatever will be by the artists with support of their peers.

I know so many artists whose work I admire, who have stories that should be told and who I want to see shine brighter. That is what inspires me.

Would you say your mistakes or your successes have made you a better person/artist?

In the world of mistakes, I’ve become a better artist. Art is a relative thing and one persons imperfection is another’s perfection. I’ve made the best discoveries and the best art out of things that I initially thought was a mistake from my original plan.

Now my successes just made me grateful and humble

What is the legacy that you want to leave behind from your work?

Ahh that’s a good question. I hope that my work can still touch peoples humanity. I want my work to be in museums and have people from any country in the world identify with the warmth, vulnerability, sensuality even strength. I hope the viewer feels inspired to be alive or happy on some level. Just to be alive and human is enough for me.

Spend 5 minutes with Lammie and you will see that she is definitely a people person, and approaches life as if it’s all one big canvas. That being said, be sure to check out her fan page here to stay current on everything Lammie. Her portfolio can be found on her website here as well. Lammie and all of her work is represented by Richard Beavers, House of Art, in Brooklynn, NY. If you’d like to get in contact with her, feel free to email Richard at rbeavers@nychouseofart.com