A Satirical View of American Society—Through the Eyes of a Black Artist
Kyle DuBois’s thought-provoking art catalog features photomontages made exclusively of magazines. Armed with surgically precise blade-work, his minimalist approach is best expressed by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry: perfection is finally obtained not when there is no longer anything to add, but when there’s no longer anything to take away.
Coming from the garment industry, fashion is commonly used as a vehicle of communication in the artist’s work. After spending his adolescence in a South Korean textile manufacturing city, he earned a BA in fashion merchandising from Miami International University of Art and Design. In various retail and corporate roles, the artist has worked for the likes of Nike, Urban Outfitters, Diesel, MCM, Adidas, American Apparel and Apple.
Oftentimes with satire, topical issues like social economics, mental health, substance abuse and gun violence tend to inform the artist’s creative processes. Composing his work can span many months, and sometimes years. Nearly impossible to duplicate, each original is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, signed and numbered by the artist.
Note: Per Section 107 of the Copyright Act, Kyle’s infrequent use of copyrighted works are transformative, as the artist adds something new, with a further purpose or different character, and does not substitute for the original use of the work. At times Kyle borrows small bits of material from an original work, never the heart of the work. The artist’s unlicensed use does not harm the existing or future market for the copyright owner’s original work.
Strong-Arm Robbery, 2022-3
Cut and pasted magazines
20 x 21 cm
Strong-arm robbery is a form of theft involving the use of force, violence, assault, or threats to take property from someone—a second-degree felony in Florida, punishable by up to 15 years in prison.
By definition, an ambush is a surprise attack by persons lying in wait in a concealed position. Ambush is also a Tokyo-based fashion label. In 2019, the artist walked into an ambush, where he was robbed at gunpoint for an iPhone and a Supreme crossbody bag.
Nobody’s Praying for Me, 2021-3
Cut and pasted magazines
13.8 x 9.4 cm
In the opening verse of Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 song Element, he states that because both his maternal and paternal grandmothers are deceased, ain’t nobody praying for me. After losing his grandmothers 2012 and 2016, respectively, the artist shares similar sentiments.
Untitled #174, 2023-4
Cut and pasted magazines
10.3 x 13 cm
Cartier is a French luxury-goods conglomerate that designs, manufactures, and sells jewelry, leather goods, and sunglasses. Here, the artist quietly makes reference to the manufactured commercialization of hip-hop—specifically the genre’s transformation from an underground movement to a mainstream cultural force; driven by corporate partnerships, media attention, and the pursuit of profit.