>> POLITICAL, PROVOCATIVE, POP CULTURE.

A LOT OF MY INSPIRATION COMES FROM LOOKING AT OTHER ARTISTS' WORK.

HISTORY OF MUSIC.

DESIGN.

FASHION, TELEVISION.

FILM.

I TEND TO GET A LOT OF DIFFERENT INFORMATION FROM DIFFERENT PLACES AND I MIX THEM TOGETHER.

SORT OF REMIX THEM.

IT IS A CERTAIN NARRATIVE.

IT DOESN'T TOTALLY BASH YOU IN THE HEAD.

IT IS KIND OF LIKE LISTENING COA COLE PORTER SONG AND THERE'S INNUENDOS AND LAYERS AND TEXTURES.

I STARTED OUT AS A PHOTOGRAPHER.

WHEN I WENT OFF TO COLLEGE, ONE OF MY TEACHERS ABBY ROBINSON.

I TOOK A CLASS WITH HER AND IT JUST STUCK IN MY HEAD.

ONCE I FIGURED OUT, OH, I CAN USE COLLAGE AND I CAN DO THESE BIG ELEGANT PIECES OF FLOWERS AND YOU KNOW, AND I CAN JUST MAKE THEM MAGNIFICENT AND GLORIOUS AND DRIPPING WITH LACQUER AND GLITTER AND WHATEVER ELSE.

I REALIZE THAT WAS THE WAY TO GO.

THAT WAS THE BUSINESS ASPECT OF IT.

AND THEN I REALIZED THAT THE POLITICAL STUFF THAT I REALLY WANTED TO CREATE WASN'T GOING TO SELL.

YOU KNOW.

IT WOULD BE GREAT IN A MUSEUM WALL.

BUT IT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE ME A LIVING.

YOU KNOW?

IT IS NOT GOING TO MAKE THE AVERAGE ARTIST A LIVING.

SO I HAVE BEEN WORKING A LOT IN COLLAGE WHO HAS WORKED OUT WELL FOR ME AND HAS BEEN SELLING.

NOW I'M TO THE POSITION AND THE POINT WHERE I WANT TO USE PHOTOGRAPHY AND SORT OF CREATE MY OWN COLLAGE WITHIN THE PHOTOGRAPHY.

I CAN WORK WITH THE BIG CANVASS AND HIGHLIGHT WHAT I WANT TO HIGHLIGHT.

AND I SORT OF HAVE THOSE COLE PORTER MOMENTS.

I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO WHEN I WENT TO CUBA.

I WAS ON A MISSION.

I TOOK A CAMERA, 100 ROLLS OF 120 FILM AND I JUST SHOT EVERYTHING.

WHAT INSPIRED ME, THE PEOPLE, THE BUILDING, THEIR LACK OF, THEIR RESOURCEFULNESS WITH NOTHING COMING FROM A THIRD WORLD COUNTRY AND SEEING THAT AGAIN, UNDERSTANDING WHEN YOU ARE OLDER, WHEN YOU ARE 50.

IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT BALL GAME.

IT'S A WHOLE DIFFERENT, YOU'RE LIKE WHOA.

WAS I READY FOR THAT?

YES AND NO.

AND SO, WHAT I WANTED TO DO WAS I WANTED TO TAKE IMAGES FROM THEIR MUSEUM AND REWORK THEM THE WAY I REWORK HEADS OF STATE.

WHICH IS LIKE THAT.

I WANTED TO SAY MY, I GUESS MY STORY WITH THAT IS WHAT IF.

IT WAS THE OTHER SIDE?

YOU KNOW?

INSTEAD OF THERE WERE THESE BEAUTIFUL LOVELY REDHEADED WOMEN.

THERE WERE BEAUTIFUL BLACK WOMEN WITH CORN ROWS.

AND BRINGING POP CULTURE.

BRINGING POLITICS IN A DIFFERENT WAY.

THE IMAGES FOR CUBA PAST AND PERFECT, I REALLY WANTED TO TALK ABOUT WEALTH AGAIN.

POWER.

WHO HAS IT AND WHO DOESN'T HAVE IT.

WHO WANTS IT, AND WHO DOESN'T GET IT.

HOW DO YOU HOLD IT.

MONEY, CLASS, JUST ALL THE THINGS WHERE SOCIETY, WE ARE CONSTANTLY DEALING WITH.

YOU CAN SEE THE CRYSTALS, YOU CAN SEE THE LAYERS.

A LOT OF CUT PASTE AND GLUE.

THERE'S A LOT OF STUFF.

SOURCING CRYSTALS AROUND A NECK PIECE.

IN HIS HAIR AND PEARLS.

AND I TRIED TO THINK OF RESOURCES THAT WERE TAKEN FROM THE COLONIES.

SO THE STONES REPRESENT DIAMONDS.

THE GOLD REPRESENTS GOLD.

AND SUCH.