Swamburger
by Rob Goldman
Asaan Brooks , aka Swamburger , was kind enough to allow me into his beautiful home in the cozy Thornton Park area . Being an artist , it must be pretty convenient for him to live so close to Sam Flax . His home property has multiple buildings with quite a few people buzzing around in them . I actually ended up parking in the wrong place and knocking on the wrong door . I ’ m sure that ’ s not the fi rst time that ’ s happened .
Swamburger is primarily known for his involvement with the B-Side Artists group and the Solillaquists of Sound music group . He ’ s a man with a mission , and he leads by example . He ’ s driven toward positive social change and unifi cation of our community . He ’ s someone who thinks a lot about his impact on the community and the potential that we have to get together and do great things .
His painting style is a notable trait of his character . Very few can portray the essence of urban attitudes as masterfully as he can . It is clear that he understands how to visually communicate the issues and questions that members of the urban community face .
We sat down in his spacious living room , just a few feet away from a work in progress . He got me a glass of water , and his cat , Edison , greeted me . I took out my notebook , and we got the ball rolling pretty quickly .
Rob Goldman : Ready ? Swamburger : Fire away .
What ’ s been on your mind ? Current events ... Black Lives Matter Movement ... Colin Kaepernick taking a knee . I ’ ve been hearing the outcry . Just a lot about all shades of brown-skinned folk trying to have a voice other than the ones the already have .
Last night , I couldn ’ t sleep ; I came downstairs — not that this really bothers me , that ’ s not why I couldn ’ t sleep . It ’ s been to a point where ... look . I ’ m 41 years old , man . Being on the planet for that long ( not saying that ’ s old ), and seeing two or three different times where you see that your people — your folk , your race , your culture — is in this outcry . Again , and again , and again .
I ’ m just trying to be a painter . I see myself as trying to exist in a different world . I ’ m not saying I ’ m trying to erase myself from my culture or my race , you know what I ’ m saying ? But , as an artist , I ’ ve got totally different problems !
Orlando ’ s Art Scene , v . 1.4
So , as you have these different movements going on , you ’ ll see , for instance , Public Enemy on the radio in ‘ 92 . And they ’ re like , “ Fight the power ! Fight the power !” And everybody is like , “ Yeah !! Word up !”
Then you have someone like Rodney King . My man comes back and says probably the most profound thing you could say , in that situation , “ Can ’ t we all just get along ?” I remember specifi cally , not just my race — it felt like the entire planet was ... laughing ! Like , “ Hahaha ! ‘ Can ’ t we all just get along !?’ Yeah , right !”
Now , we ’ re right back in that same situation . I ’ m watching my people just repeat themselves over and over . It ’ s insane .
So , that ’ s what I ’ m painting . I ’ m painting the mediocrity . The repetition . The blindness . That ’ s why usually when I paint , my characters have no eyes . Those features are not the most prominent . Not like the hands are .
You ’ re thinking about the insanity of things . Actually , Matt Duke and I were just talking about how there ’ s a really productive artist in us that hangs out right at the edge of this insanity . Yes !
Someone who can just say , “ I need to embrace this insanity , I need to harness this insanity , and channel it into something good .” Yeah , man . I ’ m trying to be at the forefront of that movement . Back in the day , you had Bad Brains , with their PMA ( Positive Mental Attitude ). There are always these movements , fi rst , for our sanity .
Even with these shootings , with Higher Ground , digital art the mass killing of black people by cops . Again , that ’ s not to say that just that is the major problem with America . That ’ s just what ’ s in the foreground . You know what I ’ m saying ? When I go to my Facebook , boom . That ’ s what ’ s on my feed .
And when I ’ m hearing some of these rappers , I feel like there ’ s this sort of bend toward trying to fi nd some sort of truth . Locally , you really feel it . I don ’ t think there ’ s enough of it , and I wouldn ’ t say that we ’ ve found the right spokesman for it . When it comes down to it , man , I want to be at the forefront of the next movement . I want it to start with the arts .
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