Fine Artist 'Jason Innocent' is pushing boundaries
The Brooklyn artist has something to say
There are very few artists who can successfully blend language and art together to make statements that are impactful enough to stop a pedestrian in their tracks. For these artists, even more important than the fame and fortune attached to art is the message itself. Jason Innocent, a Brooklyn based fine artist of Haitian descent, fits this mold perfectly. With the world as his canvas, his creations range in subject matter, often touching on disparities in race, class, and social status. His work is never overly literal or preachy, but it always has something to say.
"I started drawing early, watching cartoons and anime on television"
You may not know Jason Innocent by face, but if you've ever roamed the streets of Lower Manhattan, you've probably seen his work. It was on those walls where he first began laying the foundation for his signature style today. While he is quick to name artists like Jean-Michel Basquiat, JIM JOE, Cy Twombly, Ed Ruscha and Glenn Ligon as inspirations, his spark in art itself dates back to his own childhood. "I started drawing early, watching cartoons and anime on television" Jason says, "Channels like Cartoon Network, Disney Channel, Kid WB11, and Nickelodeon." As Jason grew as a creative, he gravitated towards artists who worked with text/language to make a statement and evoke some type of emotion.
This style of creating can be found in his own work with statement pieces like “American Flag,” where he uses typography across the 14 stripes of the flag to state: NO RACISM, NO SEXISM, NO ABLEISM, NO FATPHOBIA, NO AGEISM, NO TRANSPHOBIA, NO HOMOPHOBIA, and NO HATEFULNESS. Just before quarantine hit the states, the work was displayed in Columbia University for their event entitled Beyond the Bars: Freedom Plans. The work was well received, though it's counter cultural nature was not agreed upon by all. For an artist like Jason Innocent though, the ability to push boundaries with his work and create conversation, means a job well done.https://youtu.be/hejcJZGsJz8Jason's Lower Manhattan art days are immortalized in his 2017 book "39 Drawings". The collection of notes, observations and poems fuse his love for Pop Art, Hip Hop and Politics together in one. As for his more current work, his recent film "Masculinity" flips the Macho Male cliche on it's head, providing new insight on manhood as a whole. "A lot of people confuse Masculinity with being a male," Jason says. "But it's not, it is two different things. Being a man is having morale, knowing what's right or wrong. A Real Man is a man who puts himself before others or does good things that have positive effects." The experimental documentary consists of interviews of both women and men, as they discuss the societal pressures that men have to live up to on a daily basis.
"Whenever I work, I think about life. My life, what the state of mycountry. How can I improve my community?"
While artists blow up via social media on a daily basis, Jason Innocent makes things clear, his art is not for social gratitude. "I do not look for things to draw attention to my work," He says. "Whenever I work, I think about life. My life, what the state of mycountry. How can I improve my community?" There are many who may see his brief, vague phrases scribbled across a subway car or a dumpster and consider it detrimental to the community. But for others, like us, there is beauty, inspiration, and a middle finger to societal norms that make his work appealing. We couldn't help but to compare his messages, and subject matter to the early era of Basquiat. As for Jean-Michel, he moved on from writing on the walls to receiving millions of dollars for his art. We asked Jason if he envisions a similar path for himself. Still, his intentions remained rock solid. "I do not know yet," He says. "I stay in the moment. Talking about money and being compared to Basquiat is a long-term goal. Because I must grasp the fact that my whole life is just a constant state of growth and change. So you have to be focused on who you want to be." As for now, you can enjoy Jason Innocent's work all around the city coming to a wall, or a gallery, near you.Follow his Gram: @Jasoninnocent
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