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Atlanta Artist Corey Barksdale, Atlanta fine Art Corey Barksdale was born in Nashville, Tennessee into a family of Artists. He was exposed to color and form at an early age by his grandmother a quilt artist, and his mother who was gifted with an intuitive feeling for design and a fastidiousness for detail which she expressed in all aspects of her daily life. This rich beginning is the root of Barksdale's creative expression.

Barksdale earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at the prestigious Atlanta College of Art in 1994. During this period he was heavily influenced by the abstract expressionists and admired such mainstream artists as Jasper Johns, Clifford Still, William deKooning. The African-American masters Aaron Douglas, John Biggers, Romere Bearden, and William Tolliver instilled in him a appreciation of African/American artistic heritage.

Contemporary Atlanta Art. A prolific artist, his fine art subject matter ranges from human figures to non-objective abstracts. In recent years he has concentrated his talents on themes that portray the love and strength that exists within the African American community. His paintings grace the covers of books, magazines, CD covers, and posters. Among his convictions, is to give back to his community through art education.

http://www.coreybarksdale.com/

As a painter, Corey Barksdales work is continually inspired by jazz. It frees me to do what I feel when Im painting, Barksdale says. When hes in the studio creating, he often listens to jazz greats like Charlie Parker, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. The result is a stunning collection of more than 30 paintings that celebrate the jazz experience.

Coltrane is at the top of my list when it comes to jazz musicians, says Barksdale. A Coltrane recording he particularly enjoys is Africa. Coltrane is improvisational in the piece, but he has structure in his sound. I like the freedom that he has when hes playing Africa. Its rhythmic and free.

Barksdale admires Miles Davis with equal measure for his rawness. Davis was into experimenting and trying different things with his sound. He was a catalyst for other musicians and he was a pioneer in his time, all without commercializing the music.

So what is it about jazz that inspires Barksdales creativity as a painter? I love the improvisation of jazz musicians from the 50s and 60s. There was a lot of experimentation going on. In much the same way, I want to create something totally new with my paintings each time - to be different in the way I portray certain subjects.

Barksdale clearly appreciates traditional jazz artists - the Jazz Crusaders and Sonny Rollins included - but he also gets a certain amount of inspiration from legendary contemporaries like Joe Sample and David Sanborn.

Of all his paintings, his personal favorite is one hes entitled Jazz Reflections. The painting is of six guys playing various horn instruments, a bass and piano. Its one of my favorites because it gives off the vibe of what its like being in a jazz club, explains Barksdale, an Atlanta College of Art graduate. Many of Barksdales oil paintings are an infusion of vivid colors tinged with earth tones. His choice colors, a sky blue and a rich orange - almost like Georgia clay with a hint of brown - are used with bold strokes throughout his collection.

Ultimately, I want individuals to feel what I felt at the time I produced a piece. And whatever the scene happens to be in a painting, I want them to look beyond that and find other things in the painting they can relate to. Its my attempt to connect on a more personal level.

To learn more about Corey Barksdale visit www.coreybarksdale.com.