"Black Love Is a Saving Grace": An Interview with the Black Love Cover Artist, Lennox Commissiong

This Women's Studies Quarterly (WSQ) special issue on Black Love features a photo of the artwork entitled Be Still My Heart. This vibrant piece was created by artist Lennox Commissiong, who graciously allowed the editors to use it as a frame for the issue.¹ He is a self-taught artist, committed to translating elements of Black lives and experiences, creating pieces of influential people of African descent who refuse to bend to the demands of "societal power structures" (Commissiong 2018). Born in St. Vincent, Commissiong, who is local to New York City, moved to Brooklyn when he was fourteen. His early experiences included joining the military, which helped shape his view of the world. He would later graduate from Brooklyn College with a degree that led to a career in IT.² Commissiong, however, understood that he was an artist and was committed to enhancing his natural abilities as an adult. He shared that he did not take a linear route on his journey, having his first show opening in 2014. The passion and love for being a conduit, and the strife to be a great artist, is what drives Lennox Commissiong.

During our interview, I learned that Commissiong is motivated by a love for the creative process, is dedicated to his craft, and works daily. He has a distinct appreciation for color in his artwork, which he gained while perfecting a signature technique. Commissiong utilizes pointillism for the cover piece, Be Still My Heart, as well as the several pieces mentioned in the interview. Pointillism is considered a Neo-Impressionist technique that involves using tiny dots of pure or unmixed colors to craft images (Sothebys 2018).³ Commissiong's approach to pointillism, one where he uses a knife to cut tiny pieces of Color-aid paper, also has a politic. He declares, "My homage in small dots of color represents the many lives they have touched across various races and cultures and their political legacies (2018).⁴ In this quote, he refers to the portraits of figures like Bob Marley, Muhammad Ali, and Thelonious Monk. The Monk piece entitled Evidence was a proud creation that Commissiong was asked to contribute for the 2017 Centennial, created utilizing the technique. He's extrapolating important meaning in his method and creates art that he hopes allows "the viewer to experience the sensation of a visual treasure hunt."⁵

Ultimately, Be Still My Heart was created with Valentine's Day in mind, and when Commissiong was made aware of this special issue on Black love, it was one of two pieces he felt compelled to share. The other work of art was a joint portrait of Ozzie Davis and Ruby Dee entitled Solemnity. Although the coeditors were enlivened by, and grappled with both creations, we chose the abstract piece. Be Still My Heart in its original conception was meant to have a vertical cocooned heart. The colors, shades of pink and purple, illuminate Black love in a way that appears at odds with popular narratives of Black love as necessitating struggle and heaviness. Lennox notes that he wanted the colors to feel light because that "just feels like love." The feeling of love was one this author took away when first viewing the art piece. I was excited to sit and talk with the artist that saw Black love as a constant pulse that radiated light.

Rashida L. Harrison:

Tell me a bit about your background and how it shaped you to become the artist you are today.

Lennox Commissiong:

I was born on the island of Saint Vincent. It's been in the news lately because a volcano erupted. I migrated to the United States when I was fourteen. I always yearned to be an artist. To me, that was the highest purpose I could achieve in life other than being a good father. I always wanted that, but it took me a while to figure out that what they call natural talent is only the gateway. You must work every day if...