ATTENTION GETTER

Artists never stop going through phases. Like teenage girls, they move from one point of interest to another – this week it’s Twilight, next week it’s Lady Gaga – you just never know from one moment to the next.
But that’s how artists tend to make their mark. A dramatic turn in their style gives people something to remember and helps the artist avoid the dreaded Bob Ross “Happy little trees” fate of cultural significance.
It’s entirely acceptable for a true artist to spend a decade embroiled in surrealism, only to jump the proverbial ship in favor of cubism. However some artists don’t take a decade to switch. Some, like Collen DuBose, makes the switch from painting to painting because of a naturally shifting focus.
“The ADD allows me to quit working on a painting without ruining it,” said DuBose, who lives in LIC with his wife Danielle and their newborn daughter, Lucy. “My current style is something that nobody else does exactly. It’s not a moneymaker, but I think the culture will catch with it eventually – I might be dead by then, but that’s alright.”
DuBose describes his style as “cultural mash-ups” that feature a cartoon take on pop culture references. The human figures in his renderings are animalistic in nature, adorned with exaggerated features in an audacious setting.
One of his pieces was born while watching Ron Artest, the volatile NBA player from Queensbridge, celebrate his most recent championship victory. He recalled how Artest spoke into camera with air of arrogance – telling his interviewer that he made it to the top, despite what the world thinks of him.
“He wouldn’t be as quirky as he is if he wasn’t from Queens,” said DuBose. “That moment during that interview, I wanted to capture that moment in time. It’s a snapshot of Queens.”
There aren’t any running themes to a series of paintings – no story arch to be followed or lessons to be gained. It’s off the reservation and out of the scope of convention.
“A lot of artists play it safe. They’ll paint landscapes so they can sell them off and make money,” he said. “I’m not playing it safe. My stuff tends to not sit well with the status quo, but I don’t care – it’s not in me to muffle my voice.”
He’s been un-muffled since coming to LIC after attending college in Ohio. Before that, DuBose grew up in Maryland. Both places had burgeoning art communities – but nowhere near the scale of LIC. Now, he’s hooked on the area and its rich history of vast warehouses filled with squatting artists.
“There was no cohesive art scene in either place. It just doesn’t exist,” said DuBose, who’s looking forward to raising his daughter in this community. “There is so much more energy here. It’s more conducive to art and there is a much wider variety here than anywhere else.”
DuBose chides the contrasting odd culture of Brooklyn and said the borough is loaded with “disaffected 25-year-old kids” and that the arrogance that comes with that mindset makes it harder for new artists, in any medium, to break through. He also disagrees with the way Brooklyn artists react when someone sells their work – reprimanding those who do. While he refuses to follow art trends, DuBose has no problem with “selling out.”
“I’m willing to sell out. I have no qualms with that,” he said. “The Brooklyn scene won’t even look at you if you’re wearing a suit. LIC artists don’t mind making money with their work.”
To check out his cash-money work, go to his ever-evolving web site https://collendubose.tumblr.com.