Hebru Brantley – Flynamic Duo 89′

Flynamic Duo 89′ by Hebru Brantley

 

  • 2022
  • Vinyl Collectible
  • Batboy 16”
  • Sparrow 13”
  • Edition of 225
  • Artist issued COA for each figure
  • Sold as a set
  • P1 Provenance included with sale

Out of stock

SKU HEBR14 Category Tags , , , ,

About Hebru Brantley

Hebru Brantley creates narrative driven work revolving around his conceptualized iconic characters which are utilized to address complex ideas around nostalgia, the mental psyche, power, and hope. The color palettes, pop-art motifs, and characters themselves create accessibility around Brantley’s layered and multifaceted beliefs. Majorly influenced by the South Side of Chicago’s Afro Cobra movement in the 1960s and 70s, Brantley uses the lineage of mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore his inquiries. Brantley applies a plethora of mediums from oil, acrylic, watercolor, and spray paint to non-traditional mediums such as coffee and tea. Brantley’s work challenges the traditional view of the hero or protagonist and his work insists on a contemporary and distinct narrative that shapes and impacts the viewer’s gaze.

Recognized internationally, Hebru Brantley has exhibited in Chicago, Hong Kong, London, San Francisco, Atlanta, Miami, Seattle, Los Angeles, and New York including Art Basel Switzerland, Art Basel Miami, Scope NYC, and Frieze London. Brantley has been recognized in publications including the Chicago Tribune, Forbes, WWD, HypeBeast, Complex Magazine, the Chicago Sun-Times, and the New York Post.

Collectors of his work include LeBron James, Jay-Z and Beyonce, Lenny Kravitz, George Lucas, and Rahm Emanuel, among others. Brantley has collaborated with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Adidas.

In October 2019, Brantley opened an experiential fine art installation fueled by the narrative of his characters FLYBOY and LIL MAMA. The 6,000-square-foot installation in Chicago’s Pilsen neighborhood hosted over 23,000 ticketed guests and offered them limited-edition merchandise. Brantley currently resides in Los Angeles where he is expanding into content creation including the adaptation of the FLYBOY Universe through his media company, Angry Hero.

Brantley earned a B.A. in Film from Clark Atlanta University and has a background in Design and Media Illustration.

Level P1 Provenance

Works with P1 Level Provenance have a documented history of ownership. These works are obtained by the gallery by the Artist or Publisher, or transferred to the gallery by the original purchaser. These works are sold with a provenance report that includes:

  • A Detailed Description of The Work
  • High-Resolution Photographs
  • Artist Biography
  • Condition Report
  • Gallery Invoice
  • Bill of Sale
  • Copy of Original Purchase Documents
  • Statement from Original Purchaser (Completed at the discretion of original owner)
  • Ownership History

About This Edition

Hebru Brantley’s take on the caped crusader and his heroic sidekick returns with the final two editions of the Flynamic Duo vinyl art toy sets. The ’89 edition features a black/dark gray Batboy while Sparrow has a less saturated appearance (compared to the ’66 edition) and black goggle lenses.

Majorly influenced by the South Side of Chicago’s AfriCOBRA movement in the 1960s and 70s, Hebru Brantley uses the lineage of mural and graffiti work as a frame to explore his inquiries. Brantley applies a plethora of mediums from oil, acrylic, watercolor, and spray paint to non-traditional mediums such as coffee and tea. Brantley’s work challenges the traditional view of the hero or protagonist. His work insists on a contemporary and distinct narrative that shapes and impacts the viewer’s gaze. Recognized nationally for public works and solo shows in Chicago, Brantley has exhibited worldwide and collaborated with brands like Nike, Hublot, and Adidas.

Brantley says, “Flyboy came out of characters of color within popular culture. I hate saying ‘popular culture,’ but it’s really popular culture. I mean you look at cartoons. You’ve got animated sponges and ducks and birds and whatever, and it’s very rare to see a popular character within any medium that is African-American, Latino, or even Asian. What I wanted to do was create that, but in a space of high art and be able to have some historical context to that character. So I looked at the Tuskegee Airmen, who were fighter pilots in World War II. They flew successful missions and they never lost a person. But at that time black folks were treated far less than equal. For me, it was important to have that historical context to a character, not to just have one for the sake of needing one or wanting one. As far as it being a kid, it wasn’t necessarily a plan from the outset to create a childlike character; when I create, a lot of times I don’t see kids. I really don’t. I just see them as people. There’s a sense of innocence there, but there’s also a sense of all the other things we go through. What a kid might go through on a playground in certain ways might parallel what a guy goes through in a boardroom in a job day to day.”

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