Some creative minds choose to write, while others choose to express themselves in other forms.

Guest artist Lurlynn Franklin uses painting as a form of expression toward both society and personal issues. “I am an abstract representational artist,” Franklin said. “Representational because I like to reflect on social issues as it pertains to personal issues.”

According to her artist statement, Franklin’s art is filled with a “womanist” commentary. The issues that she addresses in her works are commentary on being a black female, on dealings with the white race, both men and women, and with other African Americans, men and women.

“I am what Alice Walker calls a ‘womanist’: a black female or feminist of color ... from the black folk expression of mothers to female children, ‘You acting womanist!’ (i.e. like a woman),” Franklin said in her artist statement.

In Kiss My Black Ass, Franklin uses a vibrant selection of colors to draw observers into the painting. The meaning of the painting is quite clear to any observer.

Franklin said the painting actually has a dual meaning. Each of the men in the painting represents a famous artist from whom she has drawn inspiration.

The representational meaning is about each artist and their abuse toward women.

One of Franklin’s favorite pieces, Another Black Wedding, shows the wedding of her mother. The people along the outside edges represents each of her brothers and sisters. Bright colors are used because her mother likes the colors and the bride is pregnant because she didn’t get married until all of the children were born.

The piece is one of Franklin’s favorites because of the great detail and use of color.

In Boneless Handshakes, Franklin draws inspiration from Michelangelo’s painting on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel. “The painting shows great elegance,” Franklin said. “I used the hands in the painting [the hand of God creating Adam], because as a kid, I have always been fascinated by the Sistine Chapel. I integrated the hands into my artwork.”

Franklin also draws most of her inspiration from her writing background.

“I’ve always done it [painting] on a non-serious level,” Franklin said. “I am also a writer; both writing and painting developed at the same pace and now they are integrated in my works.” Franklin said she comes up with the titles of her paintings before she even touches the canvas. The symbols related to the title generate from the words and she uses the symbols in her paintings.

Many of the figures in Franklin’s paintings are faceless. “The figures depicted in my paintings span from naturalistic to distorted and expressionistic,” Franklin said in her artist statement. “The figures, devoid of little or no facial features, reflects a blankness, like a ‘metaphorical mirror’ which compels the observer to fill the void of the ‘Looking Glass,’ with not only my artistic reflections and intentions, but with his or her reflections and intentions.”

All of Franklin’s paintings on display in the Fine Arts gallery are for sale. For more information about prices, contact the Department of Visual and Theatre Arts at 587-7400.

Guest artist Lurlynn Franklin is from Memphis. She received her degree in Painting from Memphis College of Art in 1995.