CATHERINE JUN Charles Bibbs makes an
effort to confront race issues in his artwork. His work will be
displayed at UCLA this weekend.
By Chris Young
Daily Bruin Contributor
For artist Charles Bibbs, confronting race issues in his work is
not an occasional project; it is a continual journey.
Bibbs’ work appears in an exhibition at UCLA’s Drake
Stadium this Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
“I like to focus on the positive things about being unique
as a member of the world society,” Bibbs said in an interview
at Drake Stadium.
Bibbs’ distinctive style generally illustrates sloping,
curving human forms that are taller than they are wide, bright
color contrasts and themes that celebrate African American and
Native American heritage. His work ranges from individuals dressed
vibrantly in traditional African garb, to groups of people
encircled in each others’ arms, to jazz musicians captured in
a moment of inspiration.
Bibbs’ work is featured in museums and galleries
nationwide, including L.A.’s African American Art Museum.
 B Graphics & Fine Arts, Inc. Charles
Bibbs’ "Urban Knight" is part of his exhibit at Drake
Stadium on Saturday and Sunday. Bibbs chooses to accent the
positive aspects of being a minority in the U.S. rather than the
negative, and maintains this theme throughout all his artwork.
For instance, many of his works depict people overcoming
adversity, crossing barriers imposed upon minorities.
“There’s enough people in the media who deal with
the negative, somebody has to stand up for the positive. I think
that when it’s all said and done, the positives will always
loom brighter,” Bibbs said.
Some of the symbols in Bibbs’ work lend themselves to
positive undertones. He often emphasizes hands that are larger than
the rest of the person’s body, symbolizing strength and
power. Many works are also painted from a “down-up”
perspective, making the base of the painting seem bigger and the
top, near the person’s head, seem smaller. This way the
figure suggests an aura of massiveness and fortitude.
Birds also show up in many works, symbolizing grace, beauty and
elegance. Feathers represent a journey and fulfillment of
enlightenment and truth.
Bibbs said that his paintings are especially popular with
African American women, who appreciate his representations of women
as majestic figures who possess an inner beauty.
“Lots of artists may draw stereotypical women, but his
representations seem to break the stereotype; they could be women
with big hands, a big butt, but drawn in a way that finds a beauty
in it,” said Chuck Bibbs, Charles’ son and co-owner of
B Graphics and Fine Art, Inc., Bibbs’ printmaking and
distributing company, in a telephone interview from his Los Angeles
office.
 "The Legend" will be shown at Charles Bibbs’ exhibit at
UCLA’s Drake Stadium this Saturday and Sunday. Bibbs’ artwork
focuses on depicting the positive aspects of being a minority in
America.
“The paintings say that, no matter how a person appears on
the outside, they can have an inner strength,” he
added.
To get inspiration for his messages, Bibbs draws mainly upon
experiences from relationships with other people and everyday life
issues.
“I ask myself, “˜What are the things that ethnic
groups bring to the soup of humanity?'” Bibbs said.
Being a commercially successful artist is also part of the
picture. If an artist isn’t communicating with the audience
through a work, they won’t buy it because they don’t
understand it.
Having graduated college with a business major and an art minor,
Bibbs is able to combine his talents as an artist with a business
awareness.
“His view is to appeal to the market in a positive
way,” said Nedra Myricks, editor for the ethnic art magazine
“Images,” in a telephone interview. “He is as
much a business man as he is an artist.”
Bibbs was able to develop a style that matched his artistic
talent and values, enabling him to reach a large enough audience to
support his art.
“There are people who say that artists would prostitute
themselves if they did it for commercialism, but I say that in
today’s society, everything is for sale,” Bibbs
said.
In a larger sense, Bibbs views his work as a contribution to
society, both a duty and a privilege.
“As an artist, you have to speak for people who
can’t speak for themselves, tell their stories,” Bibbs
said. “You are a servant of the people, a messenger. I think
artists are blessed in that their whole purpose of being is to
enhance and edify mankind, and I feel fortunate to have a gift and
participate in all that.”
Bibbs encourages young aspiring artists to look within
themselves to find what they can create that may have a positive
effect on other people. He advises that people should mold their
aesthetics to whatever is happening in society.
“You have to be enlightened, educated, understand
sociology, the history of art and how it has affected humanity
since its beginnings,” he said. “If you don’t
understand its history, you won’t be able to find your place
in today’s society.”
ART: Charles Bibbs’ work will be on
display at Drake Stadium on April 7 and 8 from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.