Why America
The burning question. Sometimes the answer is silence.
Why America holds two words that came out of watching this country turn against itself. Bias. Discrimination. A refusal to extend basic compassion, over and over, until why became the only word left to ask.
The piece is glossy. A little alluring, even, with dim light and half-lidded eyes. That tension is deliberate. Beauty sits right next to distress here because that is closer to how it actually works. The surface stays polished while everything underneath keeps fraying.
Gloss cuts two ways in this work. There is the shine on painted lips. And there is what happens when the people running this country gloss over harm instead of answering for it, especially harm aimed at whoever has the least power to stop it.
Two mouths taped shut in the flag. Two people asking the same question without saying a word.
Museum-quality matte paper, matted, in a black Ayous wood frame. Acrylite front protector rather than glass, so there is nothing to shatter.
MEET THE ARTIST
Corey Wesley is a Harlem-based contemporary artist and founder of Milton Wes Art. His work examines identity, recognition, vulnerability, and the cost of being seen.
MEET COREY WESLEYFaces tell a story before we even say a word. This is my creative expression of the human face and the emotions we all experience.
From Corey Wesley’s Harlem home
Framed and aluminum at home
Framed and aluminum works are shown here as Corey’s archive proofs in his Harlem home. Collector works are separate and available only where listed above.
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