(SCROLL THROUGH THE SLIDESHOW ABOVE TO READ MORE ABOUT KEVIN.)
Meet Kevin Q. Ewing, a 2021 graduate of Art & Public Policy and a staff member at the Kanbar Institute of Film & Television. Kevin has received support from TCR for the inaugural event of objects speak – a series of conversations produced by Kevin, with seminal people of color in fields of film and theater, art, music, literature, innovation, and fashion.
Engaging Fred Moten’s line of thought, “objects can and do resist,” objects speak series aims to highlight and celebrate emerging and established creatives of color. The inaugural objects speak conversation presented art critic and curator Antwaun Sargent in conversation with Dr. Isolde Brielmaier (Tisch Photo) wherein the conversation centered on the redefining representation of the Black body in photography, fashion, and art.
Re:SEARCHer Interview
Kevin Q. Ewing
Search on: The Lives and Souls of Black Folk
Abstract (What are you known for, as, by?): I am a mover, doer, shaker, risk-taker, shot caller and black baller who, more importantly, is an artist who works curatorially.
Objective (In life? Art? Work?): I think, read, and write about Black folks. To which, overall, my guiding ethos in life is making the impossible, possible.
Sources (Who helped author you/your project? Mentors? Collaborators?): The capacity and breadth of my creative output sits on the shoulders and intellectual labor of the thinkers, writers, doers, makers, and sages who model what it means to be in service of something greater: Kathy Engel, Karen Finley, Grace Aneiza Ali, Dr. Sheril Antonio, Pato Hebert, thee Fred Moten, Laura Harris, Luis Rincón Alba, Nicole Fleetwood, Nicholas Mirzoeff, Chanel Ward, Patti Pearson, Kaiko Hayes, Tisch-Arts Politics Cohort ’20 & ’21 and the scholars of Performance Studies. They and a host of others have taught me, in one way or another that this project called life is about unmaking one world, and the making of another one. Forever indebted.
Background (How did you find out about Tisch Creative Research?): One of my strongest attributes is resourcefulness, but also, I read *all* of the emails sent to my NYU email address. It is here that I first learned of Tisch Creative Research and the opportunities they offer to innovative and passionate students like myself and others.
Creative Research Method (What does Creative Research mean to you?): Motivated by curiosity and deep inquiry, in line with the history of critical theory and discourse, creative research allows one to push up against traditional and normal ways of thinking, to create and implement new solutions for problems we experience in this thing called the world. It is about new methods of understanding, situating, and reconfiguring knowledge.
Resources (What movie, song, play, game, etc. reflects you, the funding process, your projects, etc.?): "Sound and Color" by Alabama Shakes. Listen to the lyrics. Sit with it.
Schedule and Timeline (What is next for you?): Next for me: art world domination, and that might take a lifetime or two.
Budget (What is your philosophy on budgeting & planning for projects and/or personal life?): Personal philosophy: If it doesn't make dollars, it doesn't make sense.
Review (Is there anything else you want us to know? How can we follow you/your project and learn more?): Always down to think, read, and write about black folks, let's do it together. Find me here.
The Tisch Initiative for Creative Research features a Tisch researcher in every issue of our newsletter. If you'd like to have the chance to answer our questions and become a featured researcher, please email tisch.research@nyu.edu. You can also sign up for our newsletter here.