Birth After Death...

This project was meant to provide myself with a creative outlet to explore the topics and questions that I attempt to address often enough in my paintings and found object scupltures. Ideologies that exist within and around the phenomenom that is black culture, more specifically, African-American culture and its youth. Also, this is combined with considerations and ideas that implicitly compound African-American's and our reflections upon power, both inherited and those woefully sought after or vehemently fought against as exhibited more visually than comprehensively. The final component would be the political dynamics that co-exist and reside within both of these entities.

Where do lions fit among all of this? Well, they exist wholly as the visual congregate so to speak of the aforementioned bodies. Power, Ego, and Politics are again blanketed by a system comprised of the MALE dynamic. This bought forth in me ideas and similarities that exist somewhat in the animal kingdom, but more specifically in regards to my story - the heirarchy of the pride structure. (Yes, this is a loaded gun, with ammunition to spare for which I will exhaust the weapon and empty the clip.)

I am in this instance and throughout my story, attempting to explore, investigate and expose some of benefits and fallacies of such a system. But, lastly, and just as importantly, the story comes to fore after the death of humans. The reason for this is that life on earth as we know it seems to progressively inch towards an existence in which we as people may not exist in it. In many a essay and/or modes of thought, the increase of our dependency and reliance upon the more artificial and industrial of aspirations, will inevitably lead to a more defined decline of respect and appreciation or, overall desensitized identification the natural environment. Thus, my story does indeed imply that if this were to be the case...well, in a fantastical comic book-like sorta way.

I haven't the proper grasp of it all and thought to approach this as simply and comfortably as possible, employing all of my faculties to create something that would inform as well as entertain. For me and any reader or viewer who may find it intriguing.
And so, below is the above in outline form...

Politics, because...

• Politically, males have maintained the majority of seats and thus power.
• Thus, the reference of, "the ol' boys club"
• Finally, the bravado and sense of ego that comes along or possibly inherent in this power.

Urban youth, because...

• Ego
• Stylish flair, due to or product of ideas/ambition/represention of power, self perceived or actual
• Power: heirarchy

**African-american males have, in this instance and often enough, a severe sense of political
ambitions under the guise power.

Lions, because..

• Lions captivate, their whole visual prowess is frightenly overwhelmingly, awe inspiring
• Exude strength
• Regality

All of these entities have a common thread that presents itself by a most motivating hair-like of..

• Awe
• Power
• Visual recognition
• Male

The coolness of a "cat" insinuates a confidence but belies its uncertainty although a sense of power and control is read through its actions.

A goal, one of few in regards to this project, is to better understand these mechanics which will be probably be an exhausting effort...

Thank you for your interest.

Morawk-Marawk-MOROC

Lit: "Roar of the King"

King of Lisbon

Pride of Ge'er

King of Kings

The average cat, already equipped with claws and calm, can react just enough and alter the situation to its adavantage. And while the old saying goes that, 'a cat has nine lives', I'm beginning to think that has jack to do with its willingness to give any of them up. Maybe the King of Kings doesn't either. I also don't believe this will at all interfere with his aims of  making things just and proper for all his peoples.

"That don't concern me one bit buddy...but what does is, if we'on handle dis shit heah...if we don't tighten up n'get sum structure, sum order then what?..

"The point ain't just to run roun' roarin, we gotta have some checks and balances!

You feel me?"

Ruak-Kali-Ehioze

Lit: Kali – “Hot, sharp, strong”…; Ehioze -“Above the way of others…” – Swahili

Origin: Tanzania, Africa

(One of 5) Kings of Ta’nan

Pride of Selous

Tanzanian Lion

To think of a large boulder or rock as solid and immovable implies that it is quite possibly, impenetrable. A short cry in regard to Ruak. He's rather crustaceaous and vulnerable under his hulking shell. As one of five Kings of Ta'nan and having had to muscle his muzzle into anything he wanted, he mostly survived by employing a fair degree of thought and insight. Now apply that to managing within a male construct vying for food, power, mating and land.

“For all o’ya pee tree tactics, your social networking amounts to little...”

“You jes peeing on trees..buddy!,”
“..sometimes you don’t deserve what you think you do.”

Delonté-Baku-Erevu

Lit: “Yes!”…Look! -“clever, talented…” – Swahili

Origin: American Safari / Zoo animal

King in his own mind

Nomadic Pride

My cat's kinda crazy and in many a circle of friends is that "one crazy cat". DeLonté, while rather clever himself is somewhat over consumed by his diasporadical life. Never quite understanding oneself or their condition, they may act out in rather conflicting and dangerous ways. Without that pride, that sense of knowning and belonging, life is approached a lil' more vicariously. Delonté is not only discovering the shifting world around him, he may be in fact, discovering himself...albeit with a lil' bit of raucous.


“If we hit’em,” he said, “we better our status wit’da pride, and if we up that, up our standings and ratings… then...well, we da sh!t!”

“But, buddy, if we hit him – we gotta hit dis muthafu<ka hard ya’hear me!? “

WanSiHa-Hila-OonhH

Lit: Cannot be bought,..secrets not for sale..strategic – Swahili

Origin: African-Benin-Nigerian

King of Gashaka

Pride of Faro

Nigerian Lion

 

Not many consider cats as dumb. In fact it may be the other way around..at least that how it appears sometimes with WanSiHa. Forever one to solve a puzzle, his intelligence is always under threat by his mischevious and curious nature. But, when stakes are high, as if land and war are at hand, he never fails to fall onto his feral and ferocious nature.

 

 

"..just because I laugh and joke alot, don't mean I don't..

..well, it only means that I laugh and joke alot...don't mean I won't smoke this block o' land- witchu along wit'it!..if thats what I need to do..if thats, ukno....what must be done!"

Zenisan-Kiju-Milan

Lit: “Slick, sleek…suspect” – Son

Origin: India

King of Gir

Pride of Gujarat

Asiatic Lion




Every story has its range of character archetypes and Zenisan is the mysterious one. With strong and longing emotional ties to his homeland of Gujurat, India, Zenisan's motives are never openly under question but secretly on the minds of everyone. Not only is he tormented by displacement, he is also pursued relentlessly by his love for Lioness Sharadbhai.




"..you lead an illusory life based on ideas and social influences...a box which confines you in ways unimaginable.."

 While the story of Zenisan picks up at a much, much later time in the novel, the details of his pride's origin and preceeding difficulties can be found in the current news.

   

ZEN PROFILE

Has strong emotional ties to what was at one point in time, Gir National Forest Park and Wildlife Sanctuary in the state of Gujarat, India. Though now, the national and sanctum ideas referenced in the park's title had long since given way to a more glorious and natural condition as mankind….disappeared. But Zenisan, was raised stateside and deeply longed for a place he did not know as home but treasured just the same in his heart. And so, he savored every story told over warm meat from cub to sub adult. Consequently, this was building within him unfortunate identity issues, as the tales of "home" were conflicting and provided no insight to his lineage...

WanSiHa-Hila-OonhH

Lit: Cannot be bought,..secrets not for sale..strategic – Swahili

Origin: African-Benin-Nigerian

King of Gashaka

Pride of Faro

Nigerian Lion

HISTORY

The ol’ Faro Reserve that bordered the Cameroon and Nigerian border was interestingly enough, surrounded by several hunting reserves. This amusing quirk of zoning and land distribution for the 1287 sq mi area, and the subsequent affect it had on its inhabitants, ran a rather interesting parallel to another division that existed within the state as well.

“..there was one Cameroon…..then white man come and split it..”.

“yeah..but, that was some time ago..(?)..”

“Yes..but a divide still same..”

That was then.

The story told was that after the end of a war, Cameroon was appropriated by and then between French and English nations. This was somewhat followed shortly thereafter by a series of migrations and adjustments as some residents re-located just beyond the border to Nigeria. Between a divided Cameroon and the neighboring republic of Nigeria, whilst in their travels, the people took along some cultural elements and acquired others while some fell unbeknownst out of the luggage of life.

It could be said that the lions of the park, The Faro Reserve inherited some of the big-eyed angst. The strife was mainly out of disputes from juxtaposed jurisdictions more than anything else, and the fanning of the fire was the existence of another nature reserve just southwest in Nigeria, The Gashaka-Gumti National Park. While earlier during human times, most of Gashaka’s efforts seemed delegated to primate conservation, this mattered little today. It would be that the proximity of the two parks provided many a conflict for the much territorial cats that inhabited both expanses.

Presently, a long ruling, and the most widespread of prides had governed the Gashaka Reserve and had sat rather lofty and quite comfortably in such a plush provided sense of security. They stemmed from a most brazen generation of pride-less young males who had worked their way northeast from Garba, intent on obliterating all traces of their conventional coming of age period. It reeked of limbo. They drudged forward, hugging the Taraba River, addressing any unintentional contact with with sheer determination, ultimately designating a kingdom in Kipsan. But whoa did they become content and fat cats indeed. It was upon a customary scouting and marking of grounds that one king drew in the odor of confrontation.

A curious and impervious cat had found many puzzles and intrigue along the western border of the Faro reserve. He had toyed with old traps left by big-eyes, pounced on the riddle of procuring food in otherwise gameless places, not mention, had he shadowed and investigated the livelihood of pretty much all wildlife present in the park. But, he unknowingly sought a larger conundrum. One in which he could employ all of his sparkling thoughts and illuminations. Alas, he had found it, although he was not apparent of the discovery.

Arduous decisions, one’s that were once made over a fine efo stew and manioc… such decisions were elsewhere being made, over the fresh kill of eland, a grazing animal. These decisions were comprised of an attempt to maintain their way of life while holding steadfast to a sense of identity and security.     

To achieve the best of outcomes would require patience and intelligence that none were so ever endowed with such as the Yelba tribe of Faro. A crafty and ambitious pride from the north just short of Mali, while not often seen, they were surely felt. The occasional slaughter, scent marking or tagging’s that seemed far beyond their stretch of land . This pride had successfully mitigated turmoil between other wildlife and forged alliances that were otherwise uncommon. They negotiated and risked much to not only spread their linage, but to beguilingly set precedence and security for future litters.

WanSiha-Hila-OonhH was of this pride.