EPIOSDE 27: ARTIST TALK W/ TYSEN KNIGHT
On today’s artist talk Aisha sits down with Tysen Knight, a Pop Urban Artist. He is most popularly known for his street art based on Buddha's teachings and pop art sense. Tysen is inspired by the works of famous street artists such as Jean-Michel Basquiat and Keith Haring. His art style also reflects the styles of Fine Artist Pablo Picasso and Pop Artist Andy Warhol.
Tysen’s documentary, The Art Of Hustle: Street Art Documentary, was a success that motivated him to become a regular gallery contributor, from being a street artist. It won the ''Best Feature Film" Award 2018 at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival. The production of the documentary, The Art Of Hustle, began in October 2016. Tysen worked sixty hours a week at a barbershop, and when he got days off on Sundays and Mondays, he filmed the documentary for nine months straight. Knight directed the documentary to deliver the inspirational story about all the endeavors and dedication required to achieve goals and dreams and also shed a positive light on street art and graffiti.
Knight was responsible for a project, "Street Bench Art Pilot" conceived by the Palm Springs Public Arts Commission, the City Council Downtown Subcommittee, and Main Street Palm Springs, which involved decorating the benches throughout downtown Palm Springs. He created a series of benches with the theme, "Urban Desert Palms and Icons" on Palm Canyon Drive between Arenas Road and Museum Way. The icons included Garland, Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Keith Haring, Frida Kahlo, and Lucille Ball.
Knight launched his latest collection of paintings and drawings on October 23, 2019, at www.RobertJamesGallery.com. The works are part of his new Masterpiece Mash-Up Series where he re-imagines paintings from artists such as Pablo Picasso, Leonardo DaVinci, and Grant Wood. The collection debuted in NYC (Time Square) in the last quarter of 2019.
Knight has worked with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity to build homes for the less fortunate. He has also been involved in activities like preparing meals alongside Midnight Mission for the homeless and mentoring young ‘troubled’ kids to pursue arts at no cost.
Knight partnered with The Palm Springs Unified School District and the BAM (Boys Art Mentorship) program in California and utilized his brand of street art to inspire and mentor at-risk youth. During this mentorship program, Tysen engaged students with an interactive program and taught them how to express themselves artistically, which has in return seen the drop-out rate of men of color in these programs reduced.
Check out Tysen’s documentaries:
“The Art Of Hustle: Street Art Documentary” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KeK9MFmKjWE
“Homeless Street Artist” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q6JmjnA3ADM
Connect with Tysen Knight:
Website: https://www.tysenknight.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tysenknight/?hl=en
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TysenKnight
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCv0WYFIm2MDzHzQWGy7yxQg
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