Minority and Justice Commission
Artwork

Urban Despair

About the Artist

Ashby Reed

The Minority and Justice Commission selects and reproduces as posters works by northwest artists that reflect dimensions of the racial and ethnic diversity of the people and communities served by Washington State courts. This year's selection, "Urban Despair," showcases the work of Seattle graphic artist, Ashby Reed. It is a gripping reflection of the times in which we live when there is heightened awareness and acknowledgement of the racial inequity that exists in America. In selecting this year's artwork, the Commission recognizes the influence of bias, both implicit and overt, on perceptions and identity. For some, the image may re-enforce negative biases around youth and youth of color. For others, the image may be a symbol of the growing movement for racial equity in response to harsh and tragic outcomes for youth of color. The Commission hopes this piece will stimulate thoughtful reflection, inquiry and public dialogue about race, justice, and the role of the courts.

Artist's Statement

In 2012 I was doing a series of pieces that portrayed inner-city landscapes that I remembered from my youth growing up in the south Bronx. When I first painted "Urban Despair" it was to interpret an idea I had about our youth across the country in those inner cities. The loud and colorful clothing was in contrast to the drab environment many African American youth are mired in today. The building behind the young man in the painting is my old tenement building I lived in and done as I remembered. The youth of the today wear their hoodies as a fashion statement but it sadly subjects them to profiling by the authorities. After painting the piece in December 2011, the Trayvon Martin tragedy unfolded on national TV in February, 2012. And since then the hoodie has become a protest symbol that makes an unprecedented statement about injustice and uneven law enforcement. I never exhibited that piece until about a year after painting it, but now it causes thoughtful conversation as we continue to watch current events playout month after month in the news.

I started out as a Fine Artist and when in school I learned that Commercial artists ate more regularly. So I switched my major and went into the advertising industry as an Art Director. Now that I am retired I decided to take up where I left off. As an impressionist styled painter, I work most comfortably with a pallet knife. I paint for enjoyment of filling a blank canvas with something I feel works in that moment, on that space. I collect images and files of things I like than I try to picture how I would reinterpret what I've seen and translate that onto a blank space with whatever medium I've chosen (pastel, acrylic or oil on canvas, board or paper).