feature: the black female image – a conversation with artist markus prime

People are paying attention to the way Markus Prime maneuvers his sharpie as he renders evocative illustrations of black women—their beauty, individuality and sexuality. With over 46k Instagram followers, some claim that his art is plantation pornography, while others are awe struck by it. The 28-year-old takes up the challenge of deconstructing white normativity, by turning iconic cartoon characters black, the way he wants them to be. We discussed.

By Priscilla Ward, AFROPUNK Contributor

.

 .

Who first gave you the power to start drawing?  

My earliest memories were when my Grandmother would give me a coloring book. I would never color instead I would trace over the images. It got to the point where I just started drawing instead of coloring. Even to this day, I hate coloring I’m just good at it now. I would go out of my way to steal the Charlie Brown cartoon from the newspaper and start tracing. By the time I was 6 or 7 I was able to draw what I saw, and people would recognize it. When I was like 9 or 10 drawing was just like my thing and it got to a point where it was habit.

What sort of Cartoons did you grow up watching?

I watched everything. The first cartoon I fell in love with was Ninja Turtles. It also influenced a lot of my artwork.

Most recently there was movie star that said black people trying to change white super heroes into black characters is ridiculous. What are your thoughts on this?

These are fantasy characters, and I believe very strongly in being able to identify with something [African American children] see on TV. It’s like when I was a kid; all I saw were white superheroes, white this and white that and subconsciously you don’t even recognize that this is what you are glorifying, this is the standard that has been put in front of you. Every single show on TV that’s what it is. So it’s like if this is the highest level of entertainment and this is all I see. I think I’m kind of obligated to put it in my vision…make it as I want it, cause you’re not going to do it.

 .

What sort of discovery did you realize when you first started getting really into cartoons?

I was 4. I found out about Spiderman around the same time as Mighty Morphin Power Rangers. As I got a little bit older that’s when anime came into play. When I saw anime that’s what really fucked shit up. When I saw Dragon Ball Z, that’s show was so vial and so crazy for a cartoon it went so in depth. It was just so crazy that a cartoon could do that.

Did you have any friends who kind of introduced you to anime?

A lot of times I wasn’t allowed to watch it, but I had one friend named Zach, he was the only other black kid who was really into anime.  He had like action figures authentic from Japan. He would show me the Japanese episodes, and that’s what really made me love anime on another level. I would go out of my way to find all of these Japanese original versions. The way they draw, they seemed to care so much more about the way that they draw. The quality of their work over American cartoons, but Japanese cartoons over the way they would draw. Everything was accounted for.

What are your thoughts on the freedom of expression in your artwork?

You can waste an emotion…when people are upset you try to hurt each other. Instead of lashing out on you, artists can put it in here and make it so it has a lasting impact. I immortalized it for something, because if you’re angry you can sing a song about it. Anything that is creative you’ve recycled the emotion. Some of the drawings caused them to do the same thing, because it’s energy…energy can’t be destroyed. Manipulate the energy and turn it into something. You choose to be in that position. Once I understand that I am in control of my emotions. But that’s how I try to deal with life.

.

.

When you were just getting started, what kept you going?

When you’re gassed that definitely keeps you going. I was already on the marching band [in high school], so I was already considered a dork. I had literally built this reputation and people started copying me.

How has drawing helped you to mature into the person you are today?

Drawing helped me a lot, because if I got in trouble drawing is what I could do. I would find a way to draw. I even drew inside of the bible and I was a preacher’s kid. It was like my hand had a mind of its own. I really feel to this day I have something wrong with me. In school I know I was going to get an F, but I wanted to draw. I think I did have a mental disability [laughs] to this day.

Why are black women as the subject for your work?

I didn’t grow up drawing black women, but then there was one point when I was like I’m going to draw women. Then it got to a point when I wasn’t seeing enough black women. When I first started drawing black women it was more so how they appeared and never ever varied away from it.  Which is another reason I started drawing the way that I did.  I kind of sort of started bringing those elements in. We were a part of the problem and we weren’t even contributing. Because even now, I don’t want to tell you if you didn’t wake up like this it isn’t okay, but if you did it’s good.

 .

.

What is culture, and what role does art play in it?

I would define culture as a specific groups way of living, and the traditions they hold dear. The way that their music is, for black people culture has been an issue. From the slave days, that’s all you had. That definition has changed for African American communities. Our food the way that we eat, there are a lot of people that stick to our culture.

We are very lost, some of the stuff we don’t necessarily want it was just given to us. Hip-hop has a lot of culture, but since corporate America touched it we don’t necessarily want it. So for me I guess what I contribute to the culture is I try to take stuff that is black not forced black. And basically to say, I draw things that you can relate to as a black person. Culture is something that is apart of you. You can add or make up the culture, like your hair is apart of your culture like really your heritage on a deeper level, but really I can say black hair is a culture however way we decide to do it whatever the status quo is.

How is your work culturally significant?

Me drawing characters with natural hair whether it seems like a big deal or not is contributing to the culture. People are telling me that they changed their hair back, because of my artwork. I didn’t realize how big of a deal it was until I got thousands of messages. That’s a cultural movement. It’s me choosing not to conform to a certain culture.

Do you consider yourself to be a hipster?

…. I think that the connotation of hipster is actually a negative one. It’s a group of people trying not to conform to something.  When I lived in Florida…They thought I was trying to be white, but a lot of that stuff the gaging of your ears, Yulu tribes were doing it first. But we live in a country where things were taken from us and then we are convinced that they came up with it.

What are your thoughts on Beyoncé and the image she portrays for African American women?

The image she is giving us is very much [manipulated]. You’re still telling me that I have to manufacture this image of what it means to be flawless.

A lot of people are upset that you’re not including white women in your work, what are your thoughts on this?  

 Why you mad? Because it’s not familiar to you? Those are people I wait to say something to me. White women are taken care of. Just Google art and they’re all over that shit. Can we have something? Apparently no.

Would you consider yourself a feminist and if so how would you define that?

I always get that question, I want to say yes, but as a man I really don’t know what the right thing to say is. But as a man I do stand for women’s rights. My artwork is all about uplifting women and trying to show that women are equal if not superior to man.

.

 .

In the past you’ve been called a misogynist and fake deep via social media, how do you respond to this?

All of these are personal opinions, which I respect. I’m not fake deep. I only speak about things I know from experience. I don’t know how to fake that. This particular person is definitely bitter. I don’t attempt to silence people especially this critic. I could’ve done it when I saw the comment. Not a big deal. However I will speak up when I feel like it’s needed. I’m not in a position to tell women what to do. I’m simply encouraging other options and they make the choice themselves. And the one drawing he/she is referring to for shackles is actually showing how the industry has our women shackled and is taking advantage out them. It it is not a fetish pic. (Haha) I’m not even into that. Porn eh nudity and sex scares most people I know what lines I have drawn for my work and have not done any art that is just obscene or without purpose. People will always have their opinion of my work. So whoever these people are: to each their own.

How do you think your artwork speaks to the movement that is happening?

I can say that my art is activism. If you are using whatever you’re doing to contribute its about contributing to that movement. You’re building awareness if you are wearing a shirt that says black lives matter. You’re not going to have a cake without either one of them. It helps build confidence, and identity so another black person can feel empowered. Some people can preach all day, but not move anyone. How dare you say, that what I’m doing is not helping anyone, everything plays apart.

 .

 * Priscilla Ward is a writer whose work has been featured on Health.com, Salon.com, Youngist.org, as well as in Essence and Ammo magazine. She’s obsessed with natural hair, bell hooks, sandwiches and really cool art shows.You can find her tweeting about running one moment and being black the next @Macaronifro.