dylan cramps’ “get a grip” video has a different pov

Besides having a very cool name, Dylan Cramps is a musician, director and fashion great. Dylan has a new music video out called “Get A Grip” that is directed by, produced by, edited by, conceptualized by, composed by, and also stars Cramps. The video is daring, with visuals that create a gateway to conversations that American entertainment has spent a century shying away from. 

There are images of blackface in Cramps’ work, and they offered insight into their relationship with the practice. Of course, their artistic expression of blackface is a direct response to its history, and to “the centuries of exploitation and combining of the internal and external hate for the people of the African diaspora in this country.” Cramps wrote an insightful Instagram post,  discussing the history of blackface, that Black actors were required to mask themselves with it all times on stage despite the fact that they were Black. “To an audience of white patrons, a performer in Blackface seems complacent and cooperative, however, to the Black talent, this is their only way to fame and success as a performer. “

As a responsible artist often does, Cramps uses history to contextualize life today. The history of blackface is absurd — but isn’t it still around, resurfaces constantly as a state of mind? Cramps explained that blackface was the only route to success at the time, yet also doubling down on this idea by wonder if much had changed? “This reminded me of performing today, and what it means to be an artist. Am I my art or am I what I know will sell to an audience? Am I an artist or will I only perform as such? Is my art my product or my passion?” 

We’re looking forward to more from Dylan Cramps, their different point of view and willingness to question.

 

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My artistic expression of Blackface is the much needed recreation of the centuries of exploitation and combining of the internal and external hate for the people of the African diaspora in this country. In an earlier time, to be a performer and to be black it was REQUIRED of you to mask yourself with Blackface at all times on stage, even if you were already black. To an audience of white patrons, a performer in Blackface seems complacent and cooperative, however, to the Black talent, this is their only way to fame and success as a performer. This reminded me of performing today, and what it means to be an artist. Am I my art or am I what I know will sell to an audience? Am I an artist or will I only perform as such? Is my art my product or my passion? Being in such a historical and ancestral mask like Blackface, highlighted so many new ways of expression that I was not expecting to find out about myself and how far we, as a society have actually come and have to go in terms of using this form of masking ourselves and masking other people as means of expression. Blackface for me is unapologetically Black as night, Black as day, and Black as ever. It represents Black struggle, Black art, Black expression, Black suppression, envy of African people, and the list goes on. Very excited to continue on this artistic journey to not only unlock my higher self but to also show others a different point of view for all of our lives in this realm. Photos by @naliflower Makeup by @homosinner

A post shared by Dylan Cramps (@dylancramps) on Oct 4, 2019 at 7:37am PDT