The power of art friends -- Franco the Creator Mbilizi

The quiet violence in light

oil on canvas

18 x 24 inches

Franco the Creator © 2018

Don't ever underestimate the power of art friends for an

artist.  Your art friends (and all of your friends of course)
keep you going, hold you up, push your mind, hear
what you're saying, see what you're doing and get you.
Amazing!  The feeling of bliss when you talk to
someone joyous, funny, an excellent artist, and
deep in the "process of being an artist" can't be
measured.

That was my conversation with the wonderful artist
Franco the Creator (Franco Mbilizi) tonight. Franco
loves my work, and sees things in it that I don't
see myself, and might not even have thought of.

Franco's current work deals with, "curiosity around what
it means to live a truly fulfilling intention-lead life, that
exists beyond current socio-political confines of religion,
colour, race, class and sexual orientation to birth a new
self that reaches inward for strength and reconcillialtion."

Franco became friends with me and Steven in New York
City when Franco came to see an art show I was in.  At
the time I was exhibiting a large food still life, and Franco
was intrigued.

We saw one another again at another show in NYC,
and I have been a fan of Franco's work since I saw
the first image.  Born in Malawi Africa, Franco
now lives in Chicago, and paints scenes like no
other artists. It feels like they are about the way
life is going on the planet.  They are both
cataclysmic, and divinely inspiring at the same
time.  I always think -- "yes -- exactly!" when I
look at Franco's work.

Untitled

oil on canvas

36 x 48 inches

Franco the Creator © 2020

Aside from being a genius artist, with a massive
volume of work, acclaimed in many magazines,
and avidly collected,  Franco is brilliant and funny
and a complete delight to talk to.  So that makes
him the ideal topic for tonight.

Have a loving your life day.