Bayete soon realized that he had found his true passion in paint-
ing. He would sacrifice his lunch hour to stay in art class and
watch documentaries on art, devour art books, or to continue
painting. Upon seeing his progress, Jones allowed Bayete to de-
termine his own projects, while continuing to introduce him to art-
ists such as: Arshille Gorky, Glenn Ligen, Jean Michel Basquiat,
Gerhard Richter, Frank Stella and Robert Erwin through visiting
museums, galleries and extensive guided research. Within class
he continued to mentor him on technique – and Jones’s own
work proved to be a very important influence on Bayete’s craft.
Having paid ample tribute to technique, the artist now finds him-
self on the path of developing his own signature style and voice.
Bayete would declare himself a dreamer – in fact his name means
“Spirit” – and dreaming is not always a peaceful endeavor. His
earlier impulses, inspired to some degree by street art, have giv-
en way to strong tribal influences, developing a symbolism, that
allows him to move away from the written word as we know and
recognize it. Of late he has found the fusion of music and art to
yield a new art form, a type of “creative aggression” which bor-
rows from the spirit of the Native American ‘Badger Totem’. Mu-
sic continues to be a key ingredient in Bayete’s creative compo-
sitions…he is currently developing art installation that will include
audio components. Much lies ahead on the path of discovery of
this young artist, and we will no doubt hear much of him in the
future. For now, we are lucky to be among the first to recognize
and celebrate his talent in DTLA, and to be able to share it with
the rest of the world.
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GDCA
545 South Spring Street,
Los Angeles, CA 90013
(323) 309 2875
[email protected]
www.gdcagallery.com