Kenyon Bajus isn't a man who will compromise, that's one thing I can assure you. What I can't predict is your reaction to his work, most likely the majority will take offence, but Bajus' has a day job that has nothing to do with the arts, and so his shocking social witticisms and criticisms are something that most will simply have to take in their stride. He's not directed artistically or in any other manner by those with deeper pockets, this is a man who will not and most likely cannot sell out, his work is too hot, too prickly, too spicy for the general public's consumption – and I am glad. Bajus is a rock in a hard place, he refuses to back down, mainly I suspect, because his political and social beliefs tie in very much with his unique sense of humour.
I discovered him recently whilst reviewing on of his t-shirts and was glad to see his hardcore sensibilities for pushing the envelope off the cliff and stamping it into the sand whilst the ocean turns it to little more than spume, is heartening for a guy like me. I love to break the back of everything from a political conspiracy, to a social hypocrisy, a media-fuelled gust of public relationship building, to the wholly owned and conglomerated views of the multi-national corporations, it's good to see I'm not alone. In fact it is a massive relief. Much of the urban and street art is for me decorative, the few names with the ability to comment on the state of play, and conceive it in a perfection of illustrated vision are few and far between. Though those who can perform this magic balancing act are definitely appreciated by a vast swathe of urban art fans. The same applies to Kenyon Bajus, yet it may be some time before this man can live purely from his art, the recession is biting, his independent streak is as strong as ever, and like myself he's going to have to wait for the majority of the public to play 'catch up. But damn it's coming, it's just around the corner. The insightful, those with vision who can create will have their day, the world is run by grey minds in grey suits who spend their lives staring at lists of numbers flickering on a screen. But that is going to change. I can feel it in the air (tonight – lol).
As a boy Bajus had a habit of drawing loathed and loved figures in history with their genitals hanging out, sometimes in the act of sexually satisfying themselves, and usually in other pupils' text books. The reaction as they opened their books for lessons, and most likely everyone else's provided him with a great deal of entertainment. His work has of course matured, the subject matter more social comment than crude humour, though the underlying nature of much of his humour is still rather childish. However I love that, the juxtaposition between political commentary, the media, figures of love and hate, and the ongoing petty jibes reflect our lives to the tee these days.
We live as sheep, mollycoddled by government, corporations and the plutocracy, assured the world will be fine, the ecology and the economy will recover, but as the Victorians insisted, we the people like their children should be seen and not heard. Worse still I am sure that asides our dwindling trickle of money, the powers that be would rather we were neither seen nor heard.
Then again there are still plenty of rather more juvenile ideas floating around in Bajus' portfolio, but I for one think there's plenty more room for humour in the arts scene. So many deadly serious ideas in art are normally championed by dealers, galleries and auction houses desperate to hike the prices on the 'next big thing. Bajus works on the street and in the studio, he's adamant that C-3PO is gay and is of the belief that Bambi was a dude. Check out all his work and his mental state at www.kenyonb.com.
Tags: cartoon, comic, graffiti, humour, Kenyon Bajus, politics, prints, satirical, street art, tees
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