Tony Cokes facts for kids

Tony Cokes is an American artist and teacher, born in 1956. He creates art that makes people think about popular culture and how society works. He is known for his unique video essays that combine text, music, and images.

Early Life and Learning

Tony Cokes was born in Richmond, Virginia. He studied photography and creative writing at Goddard College. Later, he earned a special art degree (MFA) in sculpture from Virginia Commonwealth University in 1985.

Art Career

In 1995, Tony Cokes joined with artists Renee Cox and Fo Wilson. They formed a group called the Negro Art Collective (NAC). Their goal was to challenge wrong ideas about Black Americans in art and culture.

How Tony Cokes Makes Art

Cokes's art often looks at popular culture and entertainment. In the 1990s, he was part of a band called X-PRZ. His videos are like visual essays. He shows pieces of text he finds on bright backgrounds. He then sets these texts to popular music. It's like watching an essay with a cool soundtrack.

He uses quotes from many different sources. These include ideas about society, art, and news reports. Some of his sources are thinkers like Louis Althusser and Malcolm X. He also uses words from musicians like Public Enemy.

In 1988, Cokes made a video called Black Celebration; a rebellion against the commodity. For this, he used old news videos of city riots from the 1960s. He mixed them with 1980s industrial music and his own text. Cokes wanted to show that these riots were not just random acts. He wanted people to see them as a way to fight against unfair systems. He is interested in how violence is shown when regular people, not the government, are involved.

In this artwork, Cokes puts old news clips next to written comments. These comments come from people like Morrissey, Guy Debord, and Barbara Kruger. Cokes uses text to explore ideas about race in America. He also looks at the money problems caused by these ideas. One part of his video shows a quote from Guy Debord. It talks about people stealing refrigerators because they have no electricity. This shows how wealth can be a lie for some.

Soon after, the music in the video has echoing voices. These voices sound like the empty, burned-out buildings shown in the clips. Cokes's art can be powerful and make you think deeply. It makes viewers question what they believe they know.

An art critic named William S. Smith said Cokes's work helps him react to current events. It also lets him continue exploring race in popular culture. Even though it was made in 1988, this video still feels important today. It connects to movements like Black Lives Matter. It also relates to recent police violence against the Black community. Cokes's work shows how the media often presents protests as violent. This happens even when most protests are peaceful. His art makes you wonder what a real protest is. It shows that the line between protest and riot is not clear.

Teaching

Tony Cokes teaches at Brown University. He lives and works in Providence, Rhode Island. He also gave an online talk at his old school, Virginia Commonwealth University, in 2021.

Awards and Honors

In 2024, Tony Cokes received a special award. He was named a MacArthur Fellow. This award is given to very talented people.

Art Shows

Tony Cokes's art has been shown in many famous places. These include the Museum of Modern Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art. His work has also been seen at the Studio Museum in Harlem. He was part of the 10th Berlin Biennale art show. His art has been displayed in galleries around the world. These include the Hessel Museum and Whitechapel Gallery. Cokes is represented by Greene Naftali Gallery in New York. He was also part of an exhibition at The Shed in 2019. Recent solo shows include CIRCA in London (2021) and Museu d’Art Contemporani de Barcelona (2020).