The world of Kalup Linzy’s art is, lively, dramatic, and utterly bizarre.
Inspired by soap operas, his unique multi-modal creations balance humour and social commentary in a way that can not be explained, only experienced. His life, however, is a different story.
It all started in Stuckey, Florida, a close-knit community about 35 miles outside of Orlando. There, he was raised by his grandmother, aunt, and uncle, the latter of whom took in his younger sister. Linzy saw his father on the weekends, but his mother was in and out of jail and mental hospitals during these early years, as she suffered from schizophrenia and drug addiction.
The experiences Linzy faced during these times helped define his artistic style, but perhaps none more than those he witnessed on television. Watching shows like Guiding Light were part of his daily routine, and he was soon emulating elements of them as he eagerly performed for any willing audience. “I was always encouraged to perform and always had audience, whether it was in the high school auditorium, church, or someone’s living room. My imagination, singing, acting, performing, and watching soap operas really helped me get through some difficult times or forget.”
In 2002, Linzy was accepted into the Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture. It was a prestigious feat for a performance artist; one that spoke to his talent. As part of his application, Linzy submitted the first video from his Conversations Wit De Churen series. Dealing with themes of race, displacement, and sexuality (a topic very close to Linzy, who struggled to embrace his own homosexuality), his teachers spurred him to continue with the collection.
“I was experimenting,” says Linzy, but when he presented Ride to Da Club to his professor, they were quick to point out an underlying connection found in his work. “I assume that was the moment my artistic voice was taking shape.”
Though school helped Linzy better understand the path he was taking with his work, he understands that such pursuits may not be in everyone’s interests. “School can help nurture your nature or can make you question it. I was exposed to a context my work could exist in that I was not aware of before. Had I known Warhol films existed when I was in high school, I probably would have attempted the museum or gallery format before collage or perhaps understood how my video and performance work could resonate in art spaces beyond public access, when they seemed too off for the mainstream.”
The following year, Linzy moved to New York and, in 2005, captured the attention of the art world with a group show at the Studio Museum in Harlem, and the other in Chelsea gallery Taxter & Spengemann. New York Times art critic Holland Cotter saw them both, and opened his review by stating “A star is born”.
And so it was. Linzy’s sarcastic, melodramatic stories and larger-than-life characters (who, he says, are created in his mind before a story is developed for the script) have seen his work receive numerous awards and grants, including The Louis Comfort Tiffany Foundation grant, and Guggenheim Fellowship grant. It now features in a range of public and private collections, most notably The Museum of Modern Art, and The Metropolitan Museum of Art – the largest in the nation.
From melancholy diva Taiwan to fierce record label owner KK Queen, Linzy takes on the roles of the majority of his famous ensemble cast, even going so far in 2015 as to perform 35 different characters in his group show, Family Affairs. The characters are all formed around Linzy’s personality and experiences. “It is how I identify and perform parts that are fiction without me feeling like I’m lying.”
For all of this, collaboration still plays a large part in Linzy’s work. “I’ve collaborated with others all along. I can do a lot myself and I could be 100% on my own, however, I have never felt it is healthy to exist or create alone all the time.” This collaboration has come in many forms: from casting friends with zero acting experience, to partnerships with celebrity figures including actors Macaulay Culkin, Natasha Lyonne, Liya Kedebe, musicians Michael Stipe and TV on the Radio, and designers Diane von Furstenberg and Porenza Schouler.
It was a meeting with James Franco at Art Basel Miami Beach in 2009 that would, perhaps, be most fortuitous. Franco would become a strong supporter and collaborator in Linzy’s work, and invited him to appear on his soap opera, General Hospital. Appearing as singer Kalup Ishmael, Linzy performed Route 66 on the very type of show that had played such a large part in influencing his creative vision.
To those who are daunted by the prospect of entering the art world, Linzy has these words of advice: “The art world, Hollywood, fashion, and music industries are not worlds apart. There are variations in approach, but most of the time, they’re in the same room. Anything really is possible”
The future looks bright for Linzy, as he prepares to take his art into new mediums. “I’m working on new music, collages, and video works. Hoping to cross over into virtual reality. I’m also hoping to align with a New York gallery for representation and attract a few TV and film projects that are stepping stones and inspiring experiences. I plan to go where opportunities present themselves and where I feel inspired and accepted without the push back or feeling of me going against who I am. I’m planning to do some residencies. More than anything, I will continue to dream!”
We can’t wait to see what comes next.
You can check out Kalup Linzy’s work – from the first season of As Da Art World Might Turn to feature film Romantic Loner – on his Youtube channel, or official website.