StudyMe: The Art of D. Black and Survival Strategies of a Black Artist in Cleveland
Photo by Donald Black, Jr.
Some of my most cherished conversations are with the artist Donald Black, Jr., also known as D. Black. From the time I met him back in 2010, I’ve been drawn to his story and the information he has to share. I can’t tell you how many conversations we’ve had about what it’s like being Black artists living and working in Cleveland. We talk tirelessly about what’s wrong with the system, how it may never change, and what to do about that reality. We talk Black culture. We talk creative process. We talk relationships, love, and communication. We talk trauma, grief, and death. We attend Black funerals and then talk about how bad they got Black folks fucked up. We bury cousins and friends who die before 40, and then we talk about the urgency of our own work.
I don’t want to keep D. Black’s genius to myself and I don’t want either one of us to be dead by the time a broader audience gets a chance to hear our conversations. So I started StudyMe, a multidisciplinary project that investigates D. Black through a series of interviews, essays, and a weekly podcast. I also started StudyMe because I had to complete an internship project for my MFA. I pitched this project to my professor and Cleveland Review of Books and here we are.
I’ve already received one critique of this project that I think is worth discussing at the outset. It seems that people think there could be something wrong with me centering this project around D. Black because he also happens to be my husband. Let them tell it, we shouldn’t write about a loved one’s work or make that person the center of our work because of bias and blah, blah, blah. But there is so much value in this kind of work. The personal knowledge someone has about a loved one makes for intensely rich conversation about real issues.
Too often, we are writing about a loved one’s genius and work after they’ve passed away. I don’t want that to be my story. I think about Elizabeth Alexander’s beautiful memoir, The Light of the World, and my heart breaks. The memoir is a compelling story about love and the untimely death of Alexander’s husband, the artist Ficre Ghebreyesus. I don’t want to abide by rules that restrict me from writing about an artist who is worthy of study and recognition simply because he is my husband. I’ve learned and am learning so much from D. Black and I don’t want to keep that all to myself.
This project will, unapologetically, feature D. Black. I will be in conversation with him on a weekly basis via the StudyMe podcast. We’ll be discussing his work, his journey as an artist, and his creative process. Through Black’s story, we’ll be tapping into larger conversations about what it means to be an artist, what it means to be a Black artist living and working in Cleveland, and so much more. I want this project to enlighten and inspire. People can say what they want about bias and ego and self-indulgence or whatever. Those who are looking to learn will be right here listening, watching, and—like me—taking notes.