In 1983, for the 25th Anniversary convention of the National Conference of Artis, Onli was selected to create an illustration for the convention's program book. Onli took this as both a great honor but also a fantastic opportunity to display Rhythmism. They gave him a one-day deadline, which was something in his illustration practices was very common. Unfiltered Future-Primitif it would be. Looking both ways. Forward and backward. learning and retaining. Planting and harvesting. From one's collective primary consciousness to one's bondless untold productive imagination.
(Onli had launched the term Rhythmism in the early 1970s when he was the Founding Director of B.A.G. " The Black Arts Guild. They were so not ready for that. Plus coming from a youthful 20-year-old. NOPE!)
Needless to say, in 1983, there was still this incredible continued push-back from most of the prime participants of the "Black Art Movement" and the Cultural Nationalist types. They were intensely orthodox. They robustly insisted it was simply "Black Art"! That Rhythmism could not be since art should or could not be categorized.
Then as now, their thesis of "Black Art" was often a nexus of poor to limited technique and skill. With the subject manner derived from traumatic episodes of Black and African suffering from slavery, exploitation, or colonialization. Plus add images of selected Black or African historical figures or personalities. They valued a lack of skill as being more authentic. More powerful?
"Iman" circa 1978 Copyright 1987 Turtel Onli. Ink on vellum.
Created in the library of the Centre Pompidue, Paris.
Thus, really "Blacker"! That having competitive skills and technique fit for an Oba or a Pharoah was actually being caught up in a "White Art Thing". And taking on the challenges of commercial competition,,,,,well that was totally demised as "selling out"!
"Femme Chat" Circa 1977. Created for MODE Avantgarde Magazine.
Copyright 1995 Turtel Onli
That was so not him. Onli was always looking at every option to display aspects of Rhythmism as a Future-Primitif genre to expand the constricting canon of the international visual art world, Fine and Commercial. Illustrating the cover of the program book was a rare iconic moment. The NCA / National Conference of Artist was the oldest organization for the celebration and promotion of Black and African Visual Artists. This was its 25th anniversary celebration.
Rhythmism would be its face. Future-Primitif all the way!
"Rhythmistic Fatherhood" circa 1974. Acrylics on canvas. 18" X 40".
Copyright 2022 Turtel Onli.
Destroyed in a studio fire in 2001.
But beyond the novelty of being a Black person making art about the narratives of the Black experience, it was pretty stale to me. Onli was bringing the heat. The fire, flow and funk plus his world-class cascading skill-set that included illustrating for some of the largest publishing & broadcasting companies of that era.
Published in the Paris Metro American English Magazine in 1978 as the "Punk" scene was exploding.
The insert in this illustration credits Onli at age 26 for creating the term Rhythmism ani exhibiting in a solo showcase in Paris at the FIAP 1978.
Onli was seriously taking the artistic and creative fight to the belly of the beasts,,,,known as systemic racism, heterophobia, classism, orthodoxy, tribalism, and agism.
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