Code,901020
Subject,Johnny Coleman
Date,10/29/2008
Interviewer,William Busta
Special Notes,
Abstract,"Artist Johnny Coleman discusses his personal background and career as an artist. Coleman was born in Saugus Massachusetts, and grew up in Redlands California. Coleman believed he always had artistic ability. He believed that he could draw, therefore he considered himself an artist. Early in life, Coleman struggled as an artist, “drifting in the streets” as a method of learning the arts, but eventually took a full time job at a drug store. After several years at the drug store, Coleman’s friends and especially his brother encouraged him to pursue his artistic abilities. Coleman took formal art classes at Santa Barbara Community College and later enrolled at Otis College of Art and Design in Los Angles. Artists such as Charlie White inspired Coleman’s artwork and Ulysses Jenkins became Coleman’s “immediate mentor”. Coleman’s works include a response to Langston Hugh’s “Dream Deferred”, which Coleman created a chalk board just of reach of the individual, and artwork which individuals “physically inhabit the space.” Throughout Coleman’s life, music remained an anchor of inspiration. Coleman tries to work through local environments and sounds that emerge within spaces. Coleman taught Black visual art at Oberlin College after the insistence of his students. Coleman believes his experience at Oberlin helps him better articulate his own work."
Clip 1,
Clip 2,
Clip 3,
minutes:,
0,Introduction
1,
2,Born in Sagus Massechusetts
3,"Grew up in Redlands California. Coleman always thought he was an artists, especially music"
4,"As child, if he was stuck in the car, he would draw and write music. Coleman thought that if he could draw the object as the object, he was an artist"
5,"In school, after 2nd 3rd grade, stopped taking art classes, but fell in love with the quitar but did not pursue lessons, not encouraged to pursue music"
6,"Coleman did not take it upon self to take art classes, but parents exposed family to arts. Drifted in the streets as means of learning arts. After running out of money, got job at drug store"
7,"Worked for Thrifty drug for 8 years as manager, but continued drawing and playing guitar"
8,"Friends and brother encourage him to pursue formal arts. Asked ""why are you doing this?"""
9,Friend of Coleman urged him to take a get-away to think things over
10,"Friend wanted him to spend 3 drays with him and not ""do anything"". On drive back, decided to quite management job"
11,Brother was constant inspiration/influence to pursue arts
12,took first formal art classes at Santa Barbra community college
13,"energy was always very creative, applied to admission at Otis, used profit sharing from Thriftys to pay for one year of tution"
14,was lucky to get scholarship to help pay tution bills; music still something Coleman did
15,"Became more directed in school, especially after graduate school, but music remained an anchor of inspiration"
16,"Charlie White was major inspiration, wanted to be disiple of Charlie White"
17,wanted to work to be references of history and culture and be accessable
18,"Stared doing installations by accident, instructor tried to get students to ""break the line"""
19,"Instructor challenged him ""why are you painting?"", believed painting was about ""space and how it feels on the body"""
20,"""music is always the first art"""
21,"Next piece Coleman did: response to Langston Hugh's ""Dream Deffered""; painte chalk board out of physical reach to represent it"
22,"Art piece was an ""organic transition""; drawing a really meditative process"
23,community college great place to go to get very strong formal skills
24,felt organic to refer to space that music does
25,Always loved film
26,Always chose to go to the movies and theater; theater were references for him
27,
28,"Radio stations during 50s-60s not as corporate driven, more independent"
29,"Ulysus Jenkins, major influence on Coleman in video studio around 1983-84"
30,"video as art still in infancy as an art. Jenkins became Coleman's ""immediate mentor"""
31,"Jenkins asked questions of intent, audience, purpose, challenged Coleman"
32,Jenkins introduced Coleman to Charlie White's son
33,
34,"Los Angles had really dynamic arts community, still has formative impact on Coleman"
35,Tries to work through local envirnments and sounds that emerge within spaces
36,"Allen Nakagowa, major influence on Coleman as multi-instrumentalist"
37,Became member of Collage Ensamble at Otis; participated in Allen's graduate thesis exhibition
38,"Colemand would build structures and ""physically inhabit the space"""
39,
40,"Coleman had no interest in San Dieago, thought it was right-wing encampment"
41,ended up falling in love with San Dieago although originally went for the money and studio
42,
43,came to Oberlin after a year at UCSD while formalizing his thesis
44,Oberlin was a big shock
45,original plan was to be at Oberlin for two years; got involved in installation called Insight
46,worked at train station in southern California collecting stories to raise money
47,"art is about living the black experience, not the classroom, do something about the culture"
48,
49,did not have a lot of confidence in the art department in Oberlin
50,
51,always sought out relationship with African American studies for context for work
52,five students at Oberlin insisted that Coleman teach a class on black visual art
53,
54,experience at Oberlin helped Coleman articulate his own work
55,
56,"Oberlin is envirnment that requires a lot of energy, kids a redirection in focus and energy"
57,Colemand does not see himself as national artist
58,"to be national artist, must be more visible, have statements be more engaged in more places"
59,
60,
,