Rico Gatson facts for kids

Rico Gatson is an artist from Brooklyn, New York. He creates many different kinds of art, like paintings, sculptures, and videos. His artwork often explores his African-American heritage and important moments in African-American history. He uses bright colors and cool patterns to make art that tells a story about Black culture and history.

Early Life and Education

Rico Gatson was born in Augusta, Georgia in 1966. He grew up in Riverside, California. His parents moved to the East Coast during the Great Migration. This was a time when many African Americans moved from the Southern United States to other parts of the country.

In the 1980s, Rico Gatson went to Bethel College in Minnesota. He first studied graphic design but later changed to fine art. He earned his first art degree in 1989. Then, he went to Yale School of Art and got his Master's degree in 1991. While at Yale, he learned sculpture from artist David von Schlegell.

He also spent time as an artist-in-residence at places like Franconia Sculpture Park. This means he lived and worked there for a period, focusing on his art.

Exploring Art and Identity

Gatson's art looks at themes of African American History and identity. His abstract artworks use symbols and images to start conversations about politics in the U.S. This is especially true for topics related to Black lives and Black heroes.

His art is inspired by early 20th-century art movements. One influence is Russian Constructivism, which used geometric shapes in posters. These artists believed art should show everyday life. Gatson's work also connects to Afrofuturism. This is a cultural movement that combines elements of science fiction and fantasy with African history and culture. He also uses ideas from Bauhaus and Op art, which focus on design and optical illusions. He also gets ideas from traditional African fabric patterns.

Rico Gatson is a multidisciplinary artist. This means he works with many different art forms. He uses painting, sculpture, photography, video, and installations. He often adds kaleidoscopic patterns to his videos and portraits. These portraits often feature Black heroes like James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., members of the Black Panthers, Muhammad Ali, and President Obama.

His art has been shown in museums and galleries around the world. Some places include The Smithsonian American Art Museum and The Studio Museum in Harlem in New York.

Beacons: Subway Art

In 2019, Rico Gatson created a series of mosaic portraits called Beacons. These artworks are displayed in the 167 St. Subway Station in the Bronx, New York. The series features eight portraits of important African-American and Latino figures. These include musician Tito Puente, Justice Sonia Sotomayor, writer Audre Lorde, singer Celia Cruz, author James Baldwin, baseball player Reggie Jackson, poet Maya Angelou, and musician Gil Scott-Heron.

The mosaics use geometric lines and the colors of the Pan-African flag: red, green, and black. These colors represent beams of light. They highlight the beauty and pride linked to these cultural heroes. Gatson often uses these colors in his other paintings, like those in When She Speaks.

When She Speaks: A Video Project

Gatson's 2014 art show, When She Speaks, included photo collages, sculptures, and a video. The main part of the show was a short video. It showed footage of Black Panthers members Kathleen and Eldridge Cleaver. They were talking about the unfair death of their son, Bobby Hutton.

Gatson added colorful kaleidoscopic edits to the video. These edits broke up and layered the images. This created a powerful and thought-provoking feeling. He used similar video effects in his 2013 solo show, The Promise of Light.

Awards and Recognition

Rico Gatson has received several awards for his art:

• Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation Biennial Award for Visual Artists, 2001
• Prized Pieces Video Award from the National Black Programming Consortium, 1991
• Oil Bar Ltd. Award for Excellence in Sculpture from Yale School of Art, 1991
• Pew Charitable Trust Graduate Fellowship, 1990