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.

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.

Wants and Needs, 2023
Cut and pasted magazines
17.4 x 12.2 cm

To want is to have a desire to posses something.

To need is to require something because it is essential.