About the Artist

U-Pervview2013 © Mingus Designs

&

ARTIST’S STATEMENT My anthropomorphic blue-eyed macaroni juxtapositions are an agitprop response to Western iconic and mythical ploys and propaganda tricks. Like the blue-eyed Barbie, these high-fashion psychological operations are the product of Madison Avenue scientific hucksterism with military-spec religiosity and Wall Street flimflam. This agglomeration masquerades as “civilization,” yet enforces divergent personal identities and cultural schizophrenia. As my wife Lois says, “This art is dead serious and funny as hell!”

ARTIST’S BIO
Charles Mingus III

Charles Mingus III has become recognized as one of America’s most gifted and versatile artists. A native of Los Angeles, California, his work is a part of the collections of such distinguished collectors as Daniel Filipacchi, Ivan Karp, the Estates of Larry Rivers, Willem deKooning,Baroness de Koenigswarter Rothchild and Allan Stone. Additionally,Mingus’ work is represented in corporate collections such as Fort Mason Capital, LLC in San Francisco.

After studying with master calligrapher Shiro Ikagowa, Mingus, son of the legendary bassist and composer, moved to Manhattan and developed his skills in metal spinning, sculpture and environmental art. He also extended his multiple talents to include playwrighting, filmmaking, and animation. His plays have been produced at Joseph Papp’s Public Theater, La MaMa E.T.C., The Lee Strasberg Theatre Institute and Theater for the New City.

For the Museum of Modern Art and Southern Christian Leadership Conference (S.C.L.C.), Mingus conceived and initiated a benefit sale exhibition to honor Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., and produced a film in which James Baldwin, Allen Ginsberg, Robert Penn Warren and Amiri Baraka appeared. The Museum also commissioned Charles’ painting, “Time Seed,” which was featured as the Premium Card of the Year.

Mingus has been a teacher and lecturer in art and multimedia at the School of Visual Arts, NY, Towson State University, MD, S.U.N.Y/Empire State College, NY in addition to teaching a master class in theatre at the Strasberg Institute, NY.

His interview conducted by the Hatch/ Billops Collection for the Artist and Influence series was documented in 2001 and archived at Howard University, D.C. Mingus has been profiled in many books and magazines,among them “Small Worlds and How to Make Them: The Art of the Miniature”,The New York Times, The New Yorker and NY Arts.

The New York Public Library has featured Mingus’ paintings and sculptures, as has the cutting edge Chelsea art space, 532 Gallery Thomas Jaekel. In addition, working in a variety of media, Mingus’ pieces have enjoyed numerous solo and group exhibitions across the U.S., Europe and Japan. See more art at http://www.mingusart.com