Isaiah Kennedy was born in rural west Tennessee. He earned his BFA in studio art from the University of Tennessee at Martin. He is currently degree seeking at the University of Memphis for an MFA in painting. His creative practice includes paintings, woodcuts, sculptural forms, installations, printmaking, collage compositions, traditional illustrations, film photography, and videography. Outside of his making-practice, Isaiah enjoys skateboarding, all kinds of cinema, sunshine, bad coffee and good music.

The South lays like a shadow behind its children. For a lot of people, its influence is inseparable and unkillable, whether one accepts it with open arms or knives drawn. In regard to this influence, I find myself reflected in Willie Morris’s statement,

“I am a Southerner. I like the feel of these words. I could no more be otherwise than I could shed my outer skin or change the color of my eyes. I know, because I have thought about it.”

Questions and musings about my southern experiences are explored through concepts such as masculinity, class struggle, lost faith, Japanese influence, and cognitive dissonance. These notions are investigated through a visual language informed by pop-culture imagery, arthistorical moments, and autobiographical references.

The media of acrylic paint, drawings, and wood assemblages are used as vehicles for exploration. A background in carpentry and collage informs elements of the work. Special attention is paid to the level of finish on wooden components and the cleanliness of paint layers. Collage lives through illustrative mark making, black shapes as shadow, and a conversational method.