“I was fortunate enough to be raised in a household where creativity and hard work were celebrated. It was only a matter of time before I tried my hand at something funky. Being a natural-born Generation Xer, most of my influences came from cartoons, comics, and whatever other disposable pop culture was found floating around my periphery.
“Another perk of being a child of the late 1970s and early ’80s is being fortunate enough to witness the introduction of hip‑hop and growing closer to her older cousin, funk music. I would spend hours rummaging through my parents’ record collection, marveling at the old P-Funk albums in the attic.
“Visually, I was drawn into the cover art with its nonsensical illustrations, and once I got a listen, I was hooked. I could only hope that I would be able to evoke the same feeling for my viewers that I get when I hear a thumping bass line of a super-dirty drum beat. I’d like to create something that the viewer connects with on a primordial level—a soul connection that can’t be ignored. Something that you’ve got to ugh your face up to and bob your head in agreement.”
– John Hairston, Jr., All City Studios
Reach, acrylic on canvas, 30” x 40”
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