Title
Creation Date
2018
Preview
Medium
digital print on cold press paper
Description
Dimensions: 21 x 15 inches
Rights
© Davor Hikl, 2018.
Keywords
rap, Kendrick, WuTang, rappers, hiphop, portraits
2018
digital print on cold press paper
Dimensions: 21 x 15 inches
© Davor Hikl, 2018.
rap, Kendrick, WuTang, rappers, hiphop, portraits
Artist Statement
My first glimpse of the American culture was Queens, New York and surely enough, ever since, I have been fascinated by the visuals of the late 90’s culture and the 5 boroughs. The gritty buildings layered with graffiti were absolutely captivating to me and were a reminder of where I grew up. This approach shifted to my art as well, a sort of gritty aesthetic, sometimes unintentional, is captured throughout my work.
On the other hand, growing up in a household that heavily supported my interest with music helped further pave a path for my art. Although I grew up in a household that listened to Queen, The Beatles, Eric Clapton and the music of B.B. King, I was often drawn towards the Hip-Hop genre. From Nas and Biggie and to the jazzy sounds of A Tribe Called Quest, I fell under a spell. I often depict pop culture as the base for my artworks, yet I also attempt to create an icon to further express an idea the same way graffiti does for me with its simplistic symbols and layers juxtaposed with bright colors. Ideally, I hope for my viewers to appreciate my work at a glance and to gradually recognize and connect fragments, notations, and markings scattered throughout the image.
My icon driven prints are a medium of transporting a complex idea and infusing it with a modern simplistic language. The prints are heavily expressed and outlined heavily in black to represent the bold culture and to further highlight the art itself. The portraits are an icon and are largely recognized in the realm of the hip-hop culture. To those who know the background and history well will understand their meaning and importance. For those unfamiliar, I hope to spark an interest. I set out to capture the diversity of a genre which at times is misunderstood by outsiders and painted in a bad light. Although in recent years this ideology has changed in a positive manner there are still gaps to bridge.