Michael Forbes

Contemporary racial politics, migration, blackness and whiteness are central to the work Forbes makes; in relation to universal debates on wealth, history and religion; he works with sculpture, installations, photography, animation and digital media to externalise the debates above.  

Gold Christ for Gold People & Black Christ for Black People is informed by ongoing issues of poverty and conflict in Africa, which has contributed to the increase of mass migration to other parts of the world, particularly Europe. Unfortunately, the option to get to Europe has caused unprecedented numbers of deaths crossing the Mediterranean. Black visibility, invisibility and the wider impact of religion also inform how the work has developed.  

An El Dorado of 512.6 million is an animation exploring migration to Europe. The exploitation of African migrants by people traffickers has caused an unprecedented number of deaths crossing the Mediterranean in inadequate boats and vessels. The migrants are lured to Europe by a fake notion of the streets being paved with gold; but the lucky ones that successfully make it to Europe are left to survive in the best way they can, which for some is selling counterfeit designer goods on the streets.  

Forbes developed Mapping the Black Body in response to being asked “why the black body” in relation to sketches of proposed new work at RCA. He used mind mapping software to draw out his thoughts relating to contemporary and historical experiences of the black body. In the work Forbes acknowledge historical facts, whilst recognising what is projected on the black body from all sectors of society, which may reflect individual experiences, prejudices, insecurities and fears.  

In Shop... Selling the Ontology of Whiteness, Forbes started by exploring the visual representation of fashion and handbags as desired objects. In documenting the shop windows in Venice, Rome, Naples and London Forbes expands his research into the relationship of the ontology of whiteness and how it is being promoted through the shop windows and the use of the mannequins. Forbes developed abstract text layers for the work, aligning the work to contemporary advertising and creating a genuine link to the shop windows and racial political discourse of today.

Image: Auto Portrait after Rembrandt, a black man in a wig and baseball cap

Auto Portrait - After Rembrandt a Black man in a wig and baseball cap
For this work Forbes developed a series of self portraits using material purchased for his Masquerade sculptural work; he places himself in the centre of the images, thereby making a direct link between him and the work he makes. The image of a Black male
symbolises many things beyond the individual, which he explores through: the gaze, wigs, baseball caps, sexuality and adornment.
Forbes constructed the image to challenge the viewer by consciously presenting a non-smiling and non-gesturing face, thereby allowing for many readings of the image.