Selected Work | Julian Joseph Kyle

Shirley Chisholm

4x8 feet
Mixed media on salvaged wood
2021
This spray-painted stencil of Shirley Chisholm explodes with the gritty energy of urban street art, juxtaposing the trailblazing politician’s iconic image against a backdrop of layered graffiti. Chisholm, her defiant gaze partially obscured by blue-tinted glasses, embodies both radical individuality and resistance in a medium synonymous with rebellion. The raw, weathered textures of the wall she occupies heighten the sense of history and struggle, as if the surface itself bears witness to her unyielding spirit. The piece transforms Chisholm from a historical figure into a symbol of enduring activism, immortalized not in marble or oil but in the dynamic and ephemeral language of the street—an art form as uncompromising as Chisholm herself.

Acrylic painting of Judy Garland in blackface from the movie "Everybody Sing"

Judy Garland wearing a Black Prosthetic

16x 16 inches Acrylic on salvaged wood
2024
This watercolor painting is a striking exploration of racial caricature, rendered with a haunting intensity that lingers in the viewer's mind. The image, which features a figure with exaggerated facial features and twisted hair, captures the grotesque legacy of blackface minstrelsy, forcing a confrontation with the uncomfortable history of racial stereotyping in American culture. The stark, monochromatic palette emphasizes the figure's distorted expression, evoking both fear and defiance. The piece challenges the viewer to reflect on the pervasive impact of these harmful portrayals and the way they continue to resonate in contemporary society.

Watercolor painting of Cotton Watts in blackface

The Entertainment of Whites

46x 46 inches
Watercolor on Arches paper
2024
In "F**k Cotton Watts," the artist uses muted tones of yellow and black to resurrect the grotesque caricatures from the minstrel era, presenting a disturbing image that challenges viewers to confront the racial stereotypes ingrained in American culture. The exaggerated features of the figure, paired with the defiant title, serve as both a critique and a rejection of the harmful legacy left by characters like Cotton Watts. Through this work, the artist not only revisits painful historical imagery but also urges a contemporary reevaluation of how such depictions have shaped racial perceptions.

Watercolor painting of tenant farmers in Savannah, Georgia

The Cost of Living no. 3

96x 48 inches
Watercolor on Arches paper
2024
In this evocative watercolor, the muted grayscale palette conjures a poignant and haunting image of Black sharecroppers laboring in the dense fields. The artist captures the oppressive vastness of the cotton plants, which seem to engulf the figures, leaving their bodies partially submerged in the landscape. This subtle choice emphasizes the dehumanizing conditions of their labor, as they appear absorbed into the very land they toil upon. The sharecroppers' faces, though indistinct in detail, communicate a stoic resilience. The painting's masterful blending of light and shadow further enhances the emotional weight of the scene, leaving the viewer with a sense of both awe and unease at the historical implications of the piece. The choice of watercolor adds to the fluidity and softness, in contrast to the harsh realities being depicted, a testament to the artist’s ability to translate memory into a visual language that is as poetic as it is politically charged.

Screen printed silhouette of a African American republican from the 1860's

Exploration of racist cartoons from the 1940's

Half-Pint Pygmy

36x58 inches
Acrylic and pastel on salvaged wood
2023
"Half Pint Pygmy" draws inspiration from early animation and cinema to critique how Black characters have been depicted as subhuman or animalistic. The piece reinterprets an old cartoon poster, revealing the casual racism that was once a staple in entertainment. By placing these images in a new context, I want to spark discussions about how the media has perpetuated harmful stereotypes and emphasize the need to rethink these portrayals in today's culture.

Exploring blackface as an American past time

Exploring the duality of segregation in American sports

Exploring the Civil Rights movement and it implications

Exploring Blackface Mistrials as an American past time

F*ck is a Octaroon

4x4 feet
Watercolor on salvaged wood
2022
This piece takes a critical look at how Black identity has been commodified, especially through the lens of racial hierarchy and the harmful "one-drop rule." The exaggerated features of the figure in the artwork, which harken back to grotesque caricatures from the Jim Crow era, serve as a powerful reminder of the ways in which African Americans were dehumanized. By using the title "Original Octoroons," the work points to the problematic obsession with mixed-race individuals and underscores the absurdity of racial classification.

Exploring African American political trailblazers

Exploring portrayals of the African American male. in media

Exploring the origins of the carnival game African Dodger

Exploration of the Anti Lynching movement in America

Exploration of Blackface as an American past time

Everybody Sing

2x3 feet
Charcoal and acrylic on salvaged wood and frame
2022
This piece is a reimagining of iconic imagery from minstrel shows, featuring a young Judy Garland in blackface, her expression stern and defiant. The bold letters "EVERYBODY SING" in the background aren't just a title; they feel like a command, a reflection of how society has historically demanded participation from Black voices while simultaneously marginalizing them. The dark tones and heavy shadows create a sense of tension, pushing viewers to think about the real cost of this kind of enforced conformity.