Themes, emotions and visions represented in an elaborate multifaceted format. The whimsical sensation of an eclectic fusion of color, shapes and textures. The story told by a single button. These are a few of the features exemplified in the artwork of, Beau McCall. Drawing inspiration from the vast button collection of his mother and aunts, he crafts art images combining various materials such as mother of pearl, wool and decorative buttons. With deliberate focus the buttons are arranged to stimulate one’s curiosity and imagination, while simultaneously drawing attention to the unique history of buttons. Thereby McCall’s work generates a discussion surrounding many topics such as class, race and politics.
As a creative artist, McCall began his career in Harlem after arriving from his native, Philadelphia with nothing more than two hundred dollars, a duffel bag and a few buttons in his pocket from home. Two years later he made his critically acclaimed debut with wearable art at the Black Fashion Museum show for Harlem Week. McCall went on to become an established force within the Black Fashion Museum collective presenting at their shows consecutively for ten years, as well being featured in their museum exhibition and prestigious events. During this time, McCall’s visually captivating work was featured in the fashion bible, Women’s Wear Daily and on PBS.
Since then McCall has begun to focus solely on creating visual art. His work is held in the permanent collection of the Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture and the Cyndi Lauper True Colors Residence in Harlem. In 2015 he made his museum debut at the Stax Museum of American Soul Music in Memphis, TN. McCall was also recently selected as one of NBC’s TheGrio.com “40 Amazing Black Artists to Watch.”
