The Artistic Inquiry of Michael Ray Charles
Michael Ray Charles is an American painter, visual artist, sculptor, and printmaker. Born in Lafayette, United States, his formative years were spent growing up in Los Angeles, New Orleans, and St. Martinville, Louisiana. His academic journey led him to McNeese State University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, where he studied design and advertising, earning a BFA in 1989. He subsequently obtained an MFA from the University of Houston in 1993. Throughout his career, Charles has held significant academic positions, teaching at the University of Texas at Austin and later serving as the Hugh Roy and Lillie Cranz Cullen Distinguished Professor of Painting at the University of Houston.
Themes and Visual Language
The work of Michael Ray Charles is an investigation into the legacy of historic racial stereotypes of African Americans. His practice examines how African Americans have been viewed in American history and how they have come to view themselves as a result of demeaning stereotypes. In his colorful and graphic paintings and prints, Charles employs Black caricatures and stereotypes, such as the Sambo, Aunt Jemima, grinning pickaninnies, and Uncle Tom, to comment on contemporary racial attitudes.
His paintings often possess a scraped and antique look, designed to resemble peeling vintage commercial art. Through this aesthetic, he presents a satirical campaign for a fictitious product called Forever Free, which symbolizes the false promises of freedom made to African Americans by America and the consumer market. By reinterpreting common Black stereotypical characters in contemporary ways, Charles seeks to expose enduring subtle racist stereotypes.
