When we hear the word comic book or graphic novel, we tend to think of the small paper books we remember buying when we were children featuring action heroes like Spiderman, The Incredible Hulk, or Ironman. Installation art is surely not something that generally pops into our mind when we hear those words, but one artist proved that comics can be read and displayed in more ways than one. Kerry James Marshall incorporated his own comic strip into a site specific installation work that he presented covering the glass panels of the display cases in a museum. He titled this piece Rythm Mastr, produced in 1999-2000 the 20 (17 X 11 inch) double page, two-sided printed newspaper comics where made using a photocopy of ink drawing and design marker on paper. This piece is a representational narrative that Marshall uses to try and bridge the gap between modern art and African art.

Throughout the comic strip there are many visual elements incorporated into the work, I will point out a few of these. One of the first visual elements that I noticed was the artist’s use of implied time and motion, which is defined as “non-moving image(s) that shows movement through the attributed present in the image.” For example take the stances of the figures and superheroes in the comic strip, each one has its own individual way of showing movement, whether it is the front foot being lifted off the ground, or the arms coming out from the figures sides as it is about to step forward. The artist does a skillful job of showing the implied time and motion this way. The second visual element that caught my attention was the dominant use of primary colors in the color scheme throughout the strip. The primary colors are red, yellow, and blue; they are described as being primary “because theoretically they cannot be made by mixing any other colors together.” Marshall uses the primary colors in the strip to contrast each other and make each one stand out more against the other, the brick buildings he colored blue, choosing red to make the clothing stand out and then used yellow to highlight the lettering and shadowing. Another trait that is foremost in his work is his use of dark black color when depicting his figures; he chooses this to emphasize the blackness as a symbol of power.

Marshall uses a couple different design principles in this comic strip to accentuate the characters and storyline throughout. The comics are asymmetrically balanced, meaning they have two sides which do not match, or in some cases some of the panels have two or more sides that do not match. An example of this would be in how the figures are centered; towards the right there is a larger, visually heavier form, which contradicts the two smaller forms in the middle of the panel. The viewer can also see how the artist uses asymmetrical balance in the lettering of the strip, with large yellow wording up top that is balanced by smaller wording throughout the panel. Another design principle that the artists features would be using scale and proportion. “Scale being defined as size in relation to standard or normal size, and proportion being defined as, size relationships between parts of a whole or two or more items as a unit.” Marshall assimilates scale in his illustrations of the superheroes, drawing their features and figures larger than normal human size. However, he balances it with proportion between the different figures of the comic strip keeping two small figures in the middle for the one large figure on the right of the panel. The artist also includes a pattern throughout this strip that is common in many comics or graphic novels, such as the speech or dialogue balloons.

This piece is about mixing black folk art and modern art and making it into something that not only interests the African American children of today’s generation but so that it interests the total population in general. Then taking that piece and fitting it into a particular installation work, so that on a large scale many more people will have the opportunity to experience it on a grander level. Marshall created this strip to block out the glass windows of the display cases in the museum’s gallery as part of the installation work; he used this idea from seeing recycled newspapers as window covering in inner city environments. As an artist he was trying to take something as simple as the newspaper funnies and make them into a more sophisticated part of the arts.[1] The historical antecedent of comic strips goes as far back as the middle ages, Rome and Normandy both had prints with illustrations for public view. However up until the invention of the printing press the viewers had to travel to see the prints, only after the printing press was mass production available. Marshall was not involved in any particular movement during the making of this specific installation work, although his subject matter sis tends to focus on African American life and history. The work itself is about integrating contemporary urban reality, with the historical teachings by setting ancient African “archetypes” against the forces of cyber technology. Using this approach Marshall accomplished what he felt had been attempted many times before and had failed, introducing a set of black superheroes and being able to maintain them for more than a year. I chose this piece because to me it is unique, not necessarily on a personal level, as I am not African American, but I do however relate because I share a love for graphic novels also. I feel like Marshall stepped bound the boundaries of what is the “norm” by using his comic strip in his installation art. Through this he has made an enormous effort to combine two uniquely different styles of art, African art and Modern art, by incorporating idealistic mythological styled African superheroes in a comic strip series, comic superheroes being a predominantly white thus far in or history. This has not been attempted before with much success. For me growing up comics were a way to get away from the real world, to escape to someplace new and I feel it is an amazing thing Marshall has done to open the door a little wider for African American children to feel more included in this other world too.

Many artists today try and bridge gaps between different art forms and different cultures, some do it just because others have a personal purpose behind it, whatever their reason I feel we should support those artists who want to reach out with their artwork and make a difference in the lives of others and in the art community. It is because of artists like this who use the strong visual elements and design principles combined and imagination above all else to show those of us just learning that anything is possible with art if you just apply the basics and put in a little effort.

Works Cited

1. Getlein, Mark. Living with Art. 8th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2008. Print.

2. Sabin, Roger. Comics, Comix and Graphic Novels: A History of Comic Art, Phaidon, 1996. Print.

3. Art:21- Kerry James Marshall, Art21 Inc. 2001-2007, Web.

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[1] “A history of Comic Art”. Roger Sabin. 1996.