Billy Colbert is a mixed media artist who lives and works in Washington, D.C. His artwork is recognizable for the dynamic, complex layering of imagery that has been screen printed on aluminum and painted over to created even more depth. Colbert has incorporated photographs of family members, criminal mug shots from the early 1900s, and popular advertising icons into reverberant and compelling pieces that have been exhibited throughout the United States. He is also designing a clothing label, Policy, set to debut on July 31st.
In his work, Colbert asks us to recognize that we are constantly prodded to think a certain way, buy a certain product, and invest in an uncertain sense of entitlement that results from living in a society obsessed with and reliant upon the industry of manufacturing perfection. But to Colbert, beauty is found in the eschewed shirt collar, in the eyes of convicts that pierce through what is probably the only portrait taken of them in their lifetime, and in the sheer delight of watching the world’s layers haphazardly unfold. "I see myself as a DJ, grabbing records from all over and making sounds that are visual, reconnecting stories into a loose vision."
Colbert sees beauty in the instant moment, an untamed, essential exterior. In that moment, looking beyond the alienating fortresses that construct our persona, he recognizes a universal interconnectedness. To see what he sees, we have to rediscover the soul so diligently buried under the superficial, technological, and defensive silt that has cloaked what bonds us all: our absolute, soulful humanity.
Billy Colbert’s work is currently on display at the John A. Wilson Building in downtown D.C. He has two solo exhibitions opening soon: one at the Smith Farm Center for Healing on U St. opening on July 11th and another at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta opening on August 8th. A happy hour launch party for Policy is taking place on July 31st from 5-9pm.
For more information, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.billycolbert.com and http://www.policybrand.com/
Check out these links for short films on Billy Colbert:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/billy-colbert-mug-shots/102225259
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/billy-colbert-corporate-merger/1124669484
In his work, Colbert asks us to recognize that we are constantly prodded to think a certain way, buy a certain product, and invest in an uncertain sense of entitlement that results from living in a society obsessed with and reliant upon the industry of manufacturing perfection. But to Colbert, beauty is found in the eschewed shirt collar, in the eyes of convicts that pierce through what is probably the only portrait taken of them in their lifetime, and in the sheer delight of watching the world’s layers haphazardly unfold. "I see myself as a DJ, grabbing records from all over and making sounds that are visual, reconnecting stories into a loose vision."
Colbert sees beauty in the instant moment, an untamed, essential exterior. In that moment, looking beyond the alienating fortresses that construct our persona, he recognizes a universal interconnectedness. To see what he sees, we have to rediscover the soul so diligently buried under the superficial, technological, and defensive silt that has cloaked what bonds us all: our absolute, soulful humanity.
Billy Colbert’s work is currently on display at the John A. Wilson Building in downtown D.C. He has two solo exhibitions opening soon: one at the Smith Farm Center for Healing on U St. opening on July 11th and another at Mason Murer Fine Art in Atlanta opening on August 8th. A happy hour launch party for Policy is taking place on July 31st from 5-9pm.
For more information, visit http://www.blogger.com/www.billycolbert.com and http://www.policybrand.com/
Check out these links for short films on Billy Colbert:
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/billy-colbert-mug-shots/102225259
http://video.aol.com/video-detail/billy-colbert-corporate-merger/1124669484
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