If you’ve driven past the corner of Senate and Indiana avenues, chances are you’ve seen Indy-based artist Tasha Beckwith’s Madam C.J. Walker mural. The piece shows Walker and her hair product business against a bright green backdrop.
Beckwith was also one the five artists featured in “Art on the Ave,” an exhibit at the Madam Walker Legacy Center about the intersections of fine art, imagination and identity.
Her bright colors and subject matter are not an accident. Most of Beckwith’s artwork is grounded in the aesthetics of Afrofuturism, which reimagines elements of Black history and culture for the future.
The term was coined by author Mark Dery in his 1994 essay, “Black to the Future.” Science fiction novelist Octavia Butler, who died in 2006 at age 58, is now considered the mother of Afrofuturism.
Since then, Afrofuturism has made its way into the mainstream. Afrofuturism now can be found in not only in literature, but also music, art and film by Black artists. You can hear it in the music of Janelle Monáe and Parliament-Funkadelic.
The exhibit, which opened on March 22 at The Children’s Museum, invited guests to explore the concept through more than 60 costumes by Academy Award-winner Ruth E. Carter. Many of the costumes are from films like “Black Panther,” “Coming 2 America” and “Selma.”
Mirror Indy interviewed Beckwith to learn about Afrofuturism, what it means to her work and her journey to becoming an artist.
The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Understanding Afrofuturism in Beckwith’s art
Why is Afrofuturism important to your art?
It puts Black people in environments that we haven’t traditionally seen dealing with things like fantasy and science. That was one of the main reasons why I wanted to pursue the theme of Afrofuturism.
In the beginning, I didn’t know that there was a name for what I was doing. I didn’t want to create traditional portraits. I wanted it to be something different. I love fantasy and I love science fiction and combining those things together to create Afrofuturism.
I would describe your work as cosmic. Looking at the way you paint eyes. Have you always used Afrofuturism in your artwork?
No. Once I graduated from college I was just doing traditional portraits after art school. I started to do digital art. There was this specific artist, Andrew Jones, or Android Jones.
He was doing a psychedelic type of digital artwork. I really loved it. I started to look at tutorials he had and videos. I read magazines when he did interviews. I took a little bit of what he was doing and combined it with what I was doing to come up with this style. This was 2012 or 2013.
Also Josh Maze, his art was closer to what I wanted to do. His artwork is what Afrofuturism is all about. I studied his artwork. He helped develop my oil paintings.
What do you seek to explain in your artwork by drawing in this particular way or using these colors?
My main objective is to glorify Black people and to provide joy as well in the images that they see.
I see a lot of Black women are subjects in your work. Is that intentional?
I do paint men, but I really just want to glorify women, because I feel like Black women, we always get a negative reputation, and I just want us to look at ourselves as beautiful and as queens.
Why Afrofuturism is important
What are some things that you think people might not realize are Afrofuturist in nature?
When I listen to old school music, like George Clinton, I think that’s Afrofuturism.
You talked about not seeing Black people in science fiction and fantasy. Do you see Afrofuturism as a remedy for that absence?
For sure, because I always wanted to create these environments that I had never saw Black people in before. How much further can I take it? Sometimes it might not even make sense to other people. But I’m like, this is fantasy. It doesn’t have to make sense.
What are you excited to see at the Ruth Carter exhibit?
It’s going to be amazing. I love her work. I’ve always been a fan of her designs. I actually went back and looked at her costumes. I really resonated with her work in “Black Panther.” The colors and patterns, they’re represented in my own art work.
On her journey to becoming an artist full-time
How long have you been an artist?
I graduated from Herron in 2006. I used to draw cartoons — Simpsons mainly — and tennis shoes. In high school, I had some really good teachers in IPS. They made us go to Manual High School, which was a good choice for me, because they had a really good art department. They inspired me to pursue a career in art. That was way back in 2000.
Also my aunt was an artist, but unfortunately she died when she was young. So she never got the opportunity to see what I could do. I was inspired by her as well.
What has your experience been like being in “Art on the Ave,” at the Madam Walker Legacy Center?
I love seeing other artists working in this particular style. I think back to when I first started, I didn’t see anybody that was working in this particular style. So it’s great to see everyone take it on.
Do you enjoy being a full-time artist?
I love being a full time artist. After graduating from college, I just got a regular job. Art was my part time job. I got tired and decided to follow my dreams.
Some of the downs are applying for projects and commissions and having to deal with failure. And also not having any work at all. I am currently doing coin design for the United States Mint. I’m trying to bring that [Afrofuturism] style into some of the designs. But it hasn’t gone well.
Other than that I really enjoy it. Some of the opportunities that I’ve had, just like with the coin design — even with the public art — I never imagined that it would go this way.
Mirror Indy reporter Mesgana Waiss covers arts and culture. Contact her at 317-667-2643 or mesgana.waiss@mirrorindy.org.
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