by Kareem Reid (westindians)
“Afrofuturism” might sound like an impenetrable theoretical art term but simply put, it involves the act of re-imagination, reclamation of black identity– a rejection and subversion of debilitating stereotypes, an expression of the infinite ways of interpreting the past, present & future, demonstrating the cosmopolitan reality of the black experience.
“The styles contemporary artists informed by the aesthetics of afrofuturism are based on a combination of mischief, vision and technique creating a personal and unique cutting edge, exemplified among others by Outkast. Likewise, Missy Elliott, the princess of technoid hip-hop, squeezed herself into a red spacesuit for the video of the song “Sock It To Me”, while Busta Rhymes marched through the silver expanses of “What’s It Gonna Be?“ dressed as a metallic soldier.”
Visually, this usually takes the form of adopting influences from a distant, mythologized African past and ideas of the future (for example, references to outer space or extraterrestrial life) to create something distinctly modern or futuristic. “Afrofuturism” is a way of understanding and creating art that is ultimately about challenging pre-existing modes of perception.
“Afrofuturism; the compound is self-consciously paradoxical, representing the artistic combination of African and Ancient Egyptian mythology with a Western sense of the future. A coming together of eccentric costumes, deconstructive music, early electronic influences and stratospheric lyrics. The result is a parallel universe which has its own truth based on new mystical contexts and an insanely eclectic style.”
“Afrofuturism is beyond being a mere theory or lens, but is in fact a culture, a lifestyle, a spiritual practice, a tool for liberation, and all-encompassing in its scope so that it can touch on all aspects of theBlack existence through all modes and mediums of expression. It is no longer just a response to marginalization, something reactionary, but is in fact a genesis, recognizing that we’ve always been here, we’ve always dominated and imagined the speculative realm.”
Some great articles / blogs on Afrofuturism:
The Aesthetics of Afro-futurism
afrofuturisticlingo
afrocyberpunk.com
