Pose 2 Returns to his alma mater SUNY BROCKPORT

Thank you Jennifer J Jones, Phyllis Kloda and Jamie Beers, for skillfully guiding my journey back to SUNY Brockport, a dream come true. For many years I reflected upon my student days in upstate New York, the cold snowy winters, colorful fall leaves the Erie Canal and all the people I grew with. This environment provided me with solace and the opportunity to develop my Art, Business, Spiritual and Political endeavors. However I entered Brockport fresh out of Yonkers, a renegade and a rebel destine to make my mark upon the world, and there was only one way to do that… My Way.

I’m not ashamed to mention that during those cold winter nights I would sneak into the Fine Arts Tower and paint huge full color pieces of my name in the hallways, and how this resulted in me nearly getting expelled from school! And how 32 years later Pose 2 is the feature story within the Brockport Kaleidoscope Magazine and invited to back to lecture and paint murals… What a transformation?

In 2012 OSAD, the Organization for Students Of African Descent had its reunion gathering on campus. This is when I was introduced to Phyllis Kloda, who at the time was the Chairman, of the Art Department. I shared my story with Phyllis of illegally painting the Tower and as she listened we walked down the hallway and she introduced me to the work of Nate Hodges, who’s art is painted all over the Fine Arts Tower stairwells. I thought to myself wow this is amazing, I was so pleased to see that someone was painting on the walls and now it was being encouraged and supported. It was a surreal moment, I literally felt the spirit of what I had done 30 years ago reconstituted in another space and time. I was so impressed with Nate and what he was doing I left a small note on his easel, “ keep rocking Bro”.
For 2 years Phyllis and Jamie worked diligently fund raising and orchestrating my return to Brockport. Finally in September 2014 our vision came to fruition. The goal, create 3 large- scale murals with 7 students and 2 Alumni within 3 weeks and also present a workshop for the Diversity Conference. The idea was ambitious and I knew this could never happen without help. Prior to my Brockport arrival I was composing the largest collaboration project of the year, “Inceptions Reflection”; A Mural project, in San Diego CA, which afforded me no time to prepare for Upstate New York. I arrived exhausted but inspired to be back on campus where I created my very first mural, for OSAD in 1982.
This year I’ve done 5 huge murals 1 in Lima Peru, 1 in Milan Italy, 2 in Washington DC and 1 in San Diego. Most were done with the aid of apprentices who may or may not have had any painting experience and this is where the beautiful struggle begins. How do I successfully engage these students into the project? How do I uncover the attributes of each of these individuals and incorporate them effectively into the murals? Specifically how do I initiate them into my creative process… of “not knowing”, working without a plan, allowing the moment to present itself, seize that energy and use that information as the springboard for creation? This you can’t teach in a classroom it has to be experienced!
Phyllis put students interested in working on this project through a meticulous selection process, Nate Hodges, Matt Yeoman, Carole Parker, Roberta Guilo, Alexis Sammler, Kate Hochbrueckner, Alexandria Mockbee and Sarah Beehler.
All sent me samples of their works and now it was time to establish a relationship with them and begin the process. Upon meeting we all had questions for one another but in regards to the project at hand I had no detailed answers. I had only a faint idea and was eager to hear from the students what they seen or felt as we visited the locations where the murals would be painted. Strangely enough the ideas they were envisioning paralleled some of my earliest concepts on what should be painted on the underpass. It was so genuine listening and learning about each of these personas. Like a dance without a plan I flowed from one student to the next spending time with each of them independently. As our relationships deepened so did our trust and confidence. The Unknown wasn’t filled with fear just inspiration enthusiasm, good vibes and a hunger to create. As I reflect upon a statement one of my students spoke I realize how a purpose driven life is so important. She spoke about wanting to leave her mark on campus as a legacy similar to what her parents did in the past, setting swimming records at SUNY Brockport. And for myself how important it was to return back to campus to create teach and illustrate the path of my unorthodox journey. I thought also about our ancestors and how they too left their mark upon this world, bestowing us with beautiful monuments, spiritual practices and examples of how to live in harmony with nature.

My Brockport Friends from back in the day witness this event as a Full Circle within my life. Me too, its hard to put into words the feeling and experience of this moment in time. I wont forget all those who participated on this project the impression too deep the experience, rich. Energetically I can only hope that the mark that we left upon the Underpass, inside Hartwell Hall and Tuttle is at least an equal exchange for all that I’ have gained throughout my Brockport experience in the past and present.
My heart sings… This accomplishment truly marks a Full Circle and I have many other circles to complete… I have much more work to do!
Thank YOU ALL for enriching US All.
GRADITUTE.
Maxx Moses is Black Lite