White Male Artist Tired of Being Judged for Making Black Female Art

Apr 08, 2018

It’s not easy being a white male artist these days. We are in midst of a great movement of gender and people of color representing themselves with their own perspective.

Non-white-male voices are increasingly being heard and changing the dominant paradigm of white washing that's happened to history, spirituality, and the arts.

But it’s not easy for many white male artists to hear what these "new" voices have to say.

It’s especially not easy for painter Larry AppleBee. For the last 3 decades, Larry has been creating paintings and photography of black women.

He’s represented them in various states, from sultry island temptresses to the loving wives of good but complicated white police officers who've killed black folk in the line of duty.

He first came to fame reimagining Sally Hemmings—Thomas Jefferson’s black mistress—as Disney Princesses. Recently he's been photographing lookalikes of the female cast of The Black Panther as IKEA shoppers. 

“I just want to represent black women in all the nuance they are!” said the 52-year old man out of Portland, Maine. “But people have started judging me for being creative.  That’s discrimination!”

What will happen to such art, time will tell. As of now, women, people of color, and gender-queer voices refuse to back down.

“I can do whatever I want,” said Larry.  “It’s our privilege as artists to express our creative truths.  It's not mansplaining.  The human soul has no color or gender.  Stop judging me and start appreciating my voice.”

Last seen, Larry has begun painting Rachel Dolezal as a black woman crucified to a Christian cross in Celtic Ireland.