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Sunday, March 12th, the OwensArtsPlaceMuseum (OAPM) in Guthrie featured an art show and performance by Al Bostick. Bostick is a well-known Oklahoma City Renaissance artist. He’s a painter, a master storyteller, a griot, a dancer, a drummer, an actor, and a coach.
Bostick’s African and African American folk art features African masks, black faces, black bodies, African dress, New Orleans jazz musicians, slave ships, rivers, and messages from his experiences. Each image is rich with texture and color. Many of his works take several viewings to catch all the innate details and messages in them, and many of them include images of masks.
“Masks are either spiritual or they are to impart knowledge and wisdom,” Bostick revealed. “The way you know the difference is you look at the eyes. They’re either open or closed. When they’re closed, they’re spiritual. When their eyes are open, they’re imparting knowledge. The same thing with mouths.”
His art comes from what he feels, what he sees, or as he says, what irritates him.
“Art is an irritation to the artist the way that sand is an irritation to an oyster,” Bostick explained. “I describe my style as ‘irritation.’” For this art show, as he does for many others, he presents a performance to go with his paintings meant to stimulate the mind, body, and spirit. He took to the stage chanting and singing, surrounded by his paintings, took a seat behind his beautifully painted bongo drum, and proceeded to sing and play and tell stories to a completely packed, standing- room-only museum. Bostick’s stories are from his life, from what he has learned, and from history. He explains that each of his paintings has a story. He makes his audience laugh, cry, think, and learn. He invites participation.
Born and raised in New Orleans, LA, Al Bostick has had a life of art, love, hardship, creativity, performance, and teaching. He absorbs, and he shares. He has a true passion to share.
“The one thing I always say to youngsters is ‘you need to sit at the feet of older artists,’ whether it’s your grandmother or whether it’s the elders in your neighborhood, because that is the wisdom,” said Bostick, “Those are the things that have gone before. You want to make sure that that doesn’t get lost. If you want to create, you have to have a foundation, and that’s what elders are.”
This was the first time OAPM has presented Al Bostick. The reception and show were very well received. Three other local artists were introduced at the show, and it was announced that a documentary is being made about the life of OAPM founder and director, Professor Wallace Owens.
Located at 1202 East Harrison in Guthrie, the OAPM is the first and only fine arts museum in the history of Logan County. For museum hours and additional information, contact Professor Owens at (405) 410-2211.