Oscar Molina Gallery in Southampton presents the opening of a two-person exhibition titled “Manifest,” conceived by Esperanza León and Mago and featuring mixed-media works by Demarcus McGaughey and paintings by UncuttArt.
McGaughey and UncuttArt have succeeded as artists and creative collaborators at a global level. They endeavor to make art that creates connection with and understanding of themselves and others — art that is intended to cultivate the awareness, appreciation, and actualization that help humans persist in an ever-changing world.
A conversational exchange between UncuttArt and gallery associate Mago will take place on Sunday, February 5, between 2 and 4 PM. A talk with Demarcus McGaughey will be scheduled for Saturday, February 18, from 5 to 7 PM.
UncuttArt has specialized in creating independent public art, custom apparel, and art that raises frequencies. His artistic projects and collaborations have included developing a line of artistically inspired sneakers sold in over 300 retail outlets and collaborating with Wyclef Jean, Madonna, Jamie Foxx, Sean Paul, and Nelly, among others. In 2018, UncuttArt collaborated with the Andy Warhol estate and museum to design the album cover for Third Eye Blind. In 2019 he became a cast member for the hit Netflix series, “She’s Gotta Have It,” directed by Spike Lee.
UncuttArt changed his life with what he calls a “SelfLove” journey that began in 2009. He arrived at a milestone in his artistic evolution in 2014 when during the creation of a wall mural he decided to spray-paint a sidewalk.
In 2016 he launched his signature work and the moniker of his movement, ProtectYoHeART. He has spray-painted this short yet meaningful phrase around cities including Miami, New York, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., Philadelphia, and Atlanta. With the selection of paintings in this exhibition, UncuttArt takes his universal message and imagery from the street to the canvas.
A creative director, graphic designer, and mixed-media artist, Demarcus McGaughey has had a 20-year career in which he has worked to develop print design, corporate identity, and interactive media with a range of clients and collaborators, from Beyoncé to beverage giant Dr. Pepper. Combining painting, photography, and graphic design with paper and fabric collage in his artwork, McGaughey has aimed to tell stories that capture, “the beauty, strength, and vibrancy of people of color.”
He has been highlighted in magazines and galleries in New York, Texas, and Spain, and has completed residencies in Barcelona, Brooklyn, Harlem, and most recently Southampton, at Ma’s House. A certified life coach, McGaughey motivates and empowers people to believe that life is what you create it to be.
In a style and genre that alludes to the pop elements of Andy Warhol, the monumentality of Kehinde Wiley, and the coolness of Barkley L. Hendricks, McGaughey treats his subjects with curiosity and empathy, portraying them as heroes of their life journeys toward self-determination. In addition to exploring the psyche and telling the story of every individual, paying particular attention to their eyes — the windows to the soul — McGaughey experiments with formal elements, composition, and technique. These aspects deserve equal attention for the weight and dimension they add to the artist’s striking representations that strive to reveal triumphant tales of African American subjects who have manifested their destiny.