"The other day I was once again asked to speak on a current Art Trend. I responded yes, if I could first present Rhythmism. The Curator then asked, "What is Rhythmism?" I said it was cultivated in the B.A.G. Artists Guild in the early 1970s and has been the core of my Artistic practices since that period.

 Then I offered a little schooling that went like this."

An art movement is a tendency or style in art with a specific common philosophy or goal, followed by a group of artists during a specific period of time, (usually a few months, years or decades) or, at least, with the heyday of the movement defined within a number of years. 

Art movements were especially important in modern art, when each consecutive movement was considered as a new avant-garde movement. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an attempt to reproduce an illusion of visible reality (figurative art). By the end of the 19th century many artists felt a need to create a new style which would encompass the fundamental changes taking place in technology, science and philosophy (abstract art).

The five categories of fine art painting, listed in order of their official ranking or importance, are as follows:

1. History Painting Religious, historical or allegorical work, with a moral message.

2. Portrait Art Includes individual, group or self-portraits.

3. Genre Painting Scenes of everyday life.

4. Landscape Painting Paintings whose principal content is a scenic view.

5. Still Life Painting

Types of Art

Art: 

Definition and Meaning The meaning of beauty and art is explored in the branch of philosophy called aesthetics. 

Fine Art Includes: drawing, painting, sculpture and printmaking.

Visual Art Includes: fine arts, certain contemporary arts (eg. ...

Decorative Art Broadly synonymous with crafts. ...

What are artist styles?

Style is often divided into the general style of a period, country or cultural group, group of artists or art movement, and the individual style of the artist within that group style.

Divisions within both types of styles are often made, such as between "early", "middle" or "late".

According to theories associated with modernism and the concept of postmodernism, art movements are especially important during the period of time corresponding to modern art. The period of time called "modern art" is posited to have changed approximately halfway through the 20th century and art made afterward is generally called contemporary art. Postmodernism in visual art begins and functions as a parallel to late modernist and refers to that period after the "modern" period called contemporary art.

The postmodern period began during late modernism (which is a contemporary continuation of modernism), and according to some theorists postmodernism ended in the 21st century. During the period of time corresponding to "modern art" each consecutive movement was often considered a new avant-garde.

"From various Art Appreciation Sources:" Instead of my more colorful delivery!"

Two of Chicago's vital Black Futurists: Prof. Turtel Onli founder / publisher of Rhythmism: the Future-Primitif approach to the visual arts and Ytasha Womack author / researcher on all things Afrofuture. Caught kicking it at the recent Pocket Con Event at the downtown Chicago Cultural Center.  Onli is a Future-Primitif vintage visual artist whose practice started when he was a teen-wunderkind in the Black Art Movement in the late 1960s. He is still flowing from the Rhythmic Zone.

Ytasha is the author / researcher of the landmark book, "Afrofuturism". Both went world-wide from the South Side .......of Chicago!
 

Ytasha and Turtel can be found at Comic Cons, Musuem Stores, Universities and Galleries Not to mention in major collections too.  The Chicago connection!

Wesley Sun, Joe Currie & Ytasha Womack in Chicago!

"What$ in your collections?"

ONLI STUDIOS LINK!

 Event Link

This illustration was published in the Chicago Metropolis Newspaper. 2009

 Truth and fact! Prof. Onli was inspired as a child by the brilliance of George Washington Carver, scientist & artist extraordinaire. Then later, in the midst of the Black Cultural revolution, by the political vision of Frederick Douglas. Followed by the rise of Mae Jameson in the Space Program at NASA. All the way...Future-Primitif. Rhythmistic. Afrofuturist even! Reality, not limited to fantasy.  

Followed by more imagination and possibilities in winning the Peace!.

During the Black Cultural Revolution of the 1960s & '70s in the United States there emerged.........

"Unite" 40 X 40 inch acrylics on canvas painting by Turtel Onli circa 1971.

.................what is called the "Black Art Movement"!

Afrofuturism! Urbanism!  Rhythmism!

Welcoming all you folks from Japan, Sweden, the USA and Germany among others.

 

Bringing you the Future-Primitif in Fine Art and Graphic Novels!

Going to and flowing from places beyond the orthodoxy of the mainstream! ONLI STUDIOS LLC.

Rhythmism Lives!

 For the precious Buyers, cool Collectors and boldly paying fans here: Halloween and El Dia De Los Muertos are cosmic twins in this season.

 If its a horror you's a wanting then its a horror you will be getting. Sasa is giving a new sick Africanized Rhythmistic twist to horror!

 Don't let her light skin fool you!!! Per ONLI STUDIOS LLC. The emerging horror classic. "Sasa: The New Face of Horror". Your booty-cakes will never be the same. 

 But first you gotta buy her. Print version comes packed with our over-sized limited edition Rhythmistic Trading Cards via ONLISTUDIOS.com.

Ebook per Amazon. For your fright nite special!

 For most fine art collecting institutions and art critics quality in art is standards based.  Skills, materials, and context matter. Form follows function. Effect follows concept. Bad art or poorly executed art is not good for Art. Simply being expressive and passionate is not enough.  

The relationship of Visual Art to commerce, cash, or monetized value are not always embraced on the same levels as making trendy social, cultural, or political visual statements. In the Art World the Dead still compete readily with the Living. Forgeries emerge in major showcases with certificates of authenticity to later be outed. Blocking the paths and ascent of current working creative folks. Curators are now the institutional stars or gatekeepers.  Artist were once major pop stars and vital cultural icons. Full of influence and wealth plus power. Who is one's favorite Art Star now?

Now less and less is the power and voice of The Visual Artist.

This is where so many folks with a little computer tech and drawing materials can produce what appears to be "art".  Institutionally it's a bit more of "my media than mass media". Pictures? Yes. Impressive images? Yes. Likable? Yes. Very trendy? Yes.  But will they survive the test of Time?  

Will they yield to incoming changes of standards?

Will the makers of these nouveau images be remembered in Art history or by major museums? How will they earn?  Likable is similar to opinions. Very subjective and personal. Usually, free! But greatness?  Genius? Real power? That usually meets the scrutiny of a proven established criterion. This is where Rhythmism came in in the early 1970s.  Then Afrofuturism in the early 1990s. Buttressed by the explosion of digital production software and social media.

 

"Family Group" Oils on a 24" X 16" canvas. Circa 1969.

 What could be more "Afrofuturistic" than a Rhythmistic oil painting of a Black Family secure in bonds of an illuminated cosmic setting?  This work by the then 18-year-old Turtel Onli sold to the Johnson Publishing Company in 1972 for its prestigious fine art collection.  Regarded as the most important collection of Black Fine Art, it recently sold well, at auction, via the SWANN GALLERIES of New York. 

Future-Primitif all the way. Rhythmism was born!

 Email: Multiglobe@aol.com

"If you are looking for creativity, you have come to the right place!"

To start click the large arrow then the lower left smaller arrow.

Animation courtesy of R. T. Younger

Afrofuturism includes the musical power of P-Funk & George Clinton in its foundations. Prof. Onli was one of those illustrators who worked on a hit album cover for Clinton/P-Funk back in the day. 

 Onli has contributed much more to the visual arts world.  

Then, now, & later!

Check it out......!

Onli was drawing blueprints for starships in the late 1970s for various magazines that were covering sci-fi and fantasy. They knew his Future-Primitif treatments were the right choice.

(To enlarge for an improved experience simply click on the images.)

NOTE: Be sure to look for the link to older and important posts on this blog. There is so much to experience in the visual art practice of the most important Rhythmistic, Future-Primitif Visual artist, Prof. Turtel Onli, M.A.A.T.  The following images are introductory selections from entire dedicated thematic bodies of work he has produced, exhibited and offers for the right institution or collector.  

Onli designed this dymaxion vehicle for the early 1980s film project, "Fantasy Lifestyle World". 

It took Hollywood how long to catch up to that Future-Primitive vision?

Afrofuturism's trending has provided a kindred path to Rhythmism.  Being Future-Primitif, Rhythmism has long been expressed and explored by Onli as the over-arching thesis in his creative practice for decades. 

  Wiki Link

"The Art Star Denim Installation", 

presented at the DuSable Museum of Black History, Chicago.

"Fear No Maskings"  2020 From the "No Evils" Collection. 

Presented at the University of Illinois, African AMerican Cultural Center, Chicago and 

the ETA Foundation for the Creative Arts, Chicago.

"Only wear, ONLIWEAR" one of a kind / limited edition wearable art. 

Presented in the 1980s at the international Limelight Club, Hyde Part Art Center, 2020, Chicago.

"Kokopeliart" From the "Rhythmistic Quilts" Collection.

"I Dream of Jimi" From the "Rhythmistic Jimi" project.

Presented at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Musuem Store, 

CAN-TV, Chicago, Ars International, Austria

"NOG: The Nubian of Greatness" Collection is coming from the Rhythmic Zone.

The "Its A Rhythmistic World" globe in the traveling Cool Globes public Art collection.

Presented in San Francisco, Chicago, San Diego, Copenhagen, and other cites on its work tour.

"Shorties" From the "Passion Fruit" Collection.

Presented at ETA Creative Arts Foundation, 

The African American Cultural Center, University of Illinois, Chicago.

Onli wants art enthusiasts to think of each collection as a distinct Future-Primitif "production". Visual Art as performance.  Paintings and Drawings as staged characters. Each work a variation on a specific theme. Visual art that is hand-crafted to show the dynamic potential of the human touch and the visual vocabulary.  

They are conceptualized and edited with distinguishable artistic parameters that often go beyond trends, and tastes.  In the tradition of experimental narrative art where the viewer has options for discovery and re-contextualization that transcend like or dislike.  

Each of these Rhythmistic visual art productions is rich in stimulating content.  

Where a work of visual art is still worth a thousand words.