Outkast’s 20th anniversary tour sparked a bit of creative vision in Dre’ that led him to rock several custom jumpsuits, which displayed thought-provoking messages on his chest.
[FLASHBACK: Mixed Messages? Is Andree 300 Trying to Tell Us Something? (PHOTOS)]
Now that the tour is over, Andre is taking his iconic jumpsuits to Miami, where he will collaborate with filmmaker Greg Brunkalla and painter Jimmy O?Neal for an exhibit presented by SCAD and the SCAD Museum of Art.
As a versatile artist in music, performance, fashion design, and film, Andr? 3000 Benjamin has his finger on the pulse of contemporary culture. Benjamin?s identity as an artist took flight in the pages of a sketchbook he kept as a teenager, and he later rose to international fame as a member of the six-time Grammy-Award-winning musical group Outkast?the first hip-hop act to earn the coveted Album of the Year Grammy for 2004?s Speakerboxxx/The Love Below, which sold more than 11 million copies. Benjamin has been a longtime supporter of SCAD, particularly through the university?s Collaborative Learning Center, an interdisciplinary learning community that facilitates sponsored projects between SCAD students and external partners.
Details about Andre Benjamin’s new fashion venture + video below…
The exibit, entitled, ‘i feel ya: SCAD + Andr? 3000 Benjamin,’ explores fashion, film and painting through the eyes of three dynamic artists: multihyphenate performer Andr? 3000 Benjamin, filmmaker Greg Brunkalla (B.F.A., film and television, 2001) and painter Jimmy O?Neal (B.F.A., illustration, 1989).
According to the press release, the exhibition is being billed as “a socially dynamic conversation” and “an invitation to think critically and consider rhetorical expression.” Joining Dre’s collection of jumpsuits-for-thought will be Jimmy O?Neal?s large-scale abstract paintings and an experimental film directed by Greg Brunkalla.
The commissioned film, ‘Trumpets’ will use the jumpsuit expressions as a jumping off point, so to speak, to construct “a broader conversation about language and context.” Projectors will spontaneously cast phrases and words onto a single surface during each screening of the film to create a unique audience experience each time.
?As I initially thought about displaying this collection, I immediately knew I wanted to work with my longtime collaborative partners at SCAD,” says Dre in a prepared statement. “The diverse group of people that come to Miami for Art Basel Miami Beach are the right audience to see this for the first time.”
VIDEO: Andre 3000 Speaks About Upcoming ‘I Feel Ya’ Exhibit
The exhibit, which is free and opened to the public, starts Wednesday, December 3, 2014 at Mana Miami and runs through Sunday, December 14, 2014. CLICK HERE for a schedule of events.
In addition to Art Basel in Miami, Dre also plans to take his show on the road! ‘i feel ya: SCAD + Andr? 3000 Benjamin’ will also travel to the SCAD Museum of Art in Savannah, where it will be on display Summer 2015.