LOBBY,
CAMERON WELCH,”THE TRAVELLER”
- 1990, Indianapolis, IN, US
Lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, US
Brooklyn-based artist Cameron Welch’s sculptures and wall-mounted mosaic reliquary-like ‘paintings’ draw inspiration from antiquity and modern life, mythologies of his own, and the untold stories of the American black experience. Formed by grouted tiles and interspersed with quotidian ready-made like items from eclectic markets and objects culled from Brooklyn detritus, Welch intertwines, paints and assembles various materials to form the scenes of his epic narratives.
Often depicting heroic or eccentric figures with whom he shares true and fabled kinship, the artist sheds light on unsung histories through myriad sensations set within the intricate topology of his works.Welch transitioned into mosaic assemblage in part after wandering through the Ancient Greco-Roman wing at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Noting that people of African descent were often underrepresented or misrepresented regardless of being an intrinsic part of the ancient world, Welch reclaims these histories by creating monumental, lasting depictions with culturally representative motifs. His personal experiences of being biracial result in the driving force in his work of creating a more advanced and accurate contemporary archeology.
Cameron Welch (b. 1990, Indianapolis, IN, US; lives and works in Brooklyn, NY, US) graduated with an MFA from Columbia University, New York in 2016. His recent solo exhibitions include RUINS at Yossi Milo Gallery, New York (2022); Figurative Summer at Jenkins Johnson Gallery, San Francisco (2020); Monolith at Nino Mier Gallery, Los Angeles (2019); RETROGRADE at Rental Gallery, East Hampton (2018); Hide and Seek at yours, mine, and ours, New York (2017). His work is included in the collection of The Museum of Art at the Rhode Island School of Design. Welch lives and works in New York.
The work “The Voyager”
Voyager is a work centered on the idea of travel and discovery amidst turbulent times. The central angelic figure is occupying a space between the heavens and earth. adorned with blue patterned robes of white, red, and green ceramic; its wings stretch stretch across the center of the work creating a clear delineation between above and below. Expressive flames sit to the left of the character and a bundle of grapes sit to its right. This hints at themes of both loss and abundance carried throughout the work. The figure is crowned in a headpiece adorned with gem stones and glass pieces echoing ancient regalia.
Floating on both sides of this are two cherubs with bow and arrow in tow sharing the expression of Munch’s scream which is mirrored in African iconography. All of these elements are surrounded in thousands of pieces of hand cut glass gilded by the artist is 24 karat gold leaf. The effect this has is one of luminosity that catches the light and reflects it back to the viewer. The figure in the work is always surrounded in a gold haze. The central character is also holding a pistol stretched outward but the barrel of the weapon is filled with flowers; a historic symbol of non violence. Nestled to the left of this is a reference to the historic ‘idiot’ tiger that represents authority in a laughable light. And to the right of this is a head mouth agape surrounded by fire, a nod to the unrest during protests throughout the year the work was created.
At the top of the piece sits a sun and moon combined into one. And surrounding the scene’s entirety are waves. Both of these symbols pointing to cycles and repetition. The work is attempting to create a whole bigger than the sum of its parts bringing together many elements to speak to memory, art history, and contemporary culture.
If you are interested in purchasing this work you can contact:
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