LaQuincey Reed is an artist and elected member of the National Sculpture Society based in Oklahoma City, OK. He graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a BFA in studio art and after graduation worked as a sculptor assistant on the Oklahoma Landrun monument. He has been commissioned to complete works for the University of Oklahoma, Oklahoma Baptist University, Southwestern Oklahoma State University, Cleveland County Courthouse, the Oklahoma State Capitol, and other institutions. He exhibits his artwork across the country and his work was part of Brookgreen Gardens’ exhibit on Emerging Stars in American Sculpture. Recently, he was selected for the Skirvin Hilton Hotel and Paseo Arts Association Artist in Residence Skirvin Paseo Artists Creativity Exposition program.
5 Questions with LaQuincey Reed
Your passion for art started at a young age. Can you share a favorite childhood memory?
My favorite childhood memory of making art is of my uncles and I drawing together on the sun porch of my Grandmother’s house. We would draw superheroes from comic books and make up our own. They were the main influence that led me to become an artist.
What is the process you go through to research and determine your next sculpture?
My research process starts with seeds of interest in a variety of history. I’m not often sure where they start or come from, but the common theme is curiosity. My recent work is focused on Blacks in the West and the research on that topic has led me to research the influence of the American West on the Bills of the Congo.
How do you mentally prepare to start a sculpting project? Can you walk us through that process?
To prepare for a sculpture, I try to make sure I have enough reference material and a sketch. The sketch is just the starting point and there are many changes and adjustments that a sculpture will go through to make the narrative, emotion and aesthetic work. The positive and negative spaces are constantly reworked to create a cohesive three-dimensional form and very rarely does a sculpture look like the preparatory sketch.
You are still young-ish, but what project has been the greatest thrill of your life to date?
The greatest thrill of my life has been meeting so many great artists, art supporters, and collectors. Everyone has been so helpful and encouraging in my journey. It’s still a shock that anyone cares about what I do. I’m humbled that people are able to find value and meaning in the thoughts and emotions I hope to communicate to my audience.
For anyone who owns your artwork, what do you want them to feel when they look at it?
For anyone who owns my artwork, I want them to feel as though they have something to be proud to own. I’d love for them to pass it to their children, show it to their family and friends and know that they own something of value. I’d also want them to have an emotional connection with the piece because they either empathize with the story and emotion or they had a chance to speak with me and understand my perspective and research.
During the Civil War, many Western plantations relied on slaves to keep the plantations working. These slaves ended up gaining many valuable skills and once free were able to use those skills for gainful employment. Many of the jobs given to slaves were difficult and included breaking the most unruly horses. This sculpture shows a Black man working dangerously and strenuously to wrangle a wild horse using the skills he gained as a slave for his own benefit.
Tools often become attached to us and we can develop a strong bond like a relationship with them. I know that I am like that with particular sculpting tools. Being a black man in the West, where bigotry could be around the corner would lead anyone to feel strongly about the tools you use to protect yourself and grant success. My piece shows a man sleeping peacefully and comfortably with the tools of protection and financial freedom, like they were with his girlfriend.
After the Civil War and slavey ended, Black Americans faced a decision: stay in the South, go North or find success in the West. The decision to move West allowed many to find acceptance through their work ethic, but bigotry was hard to completely root out. “Don’t Push Me” depicts a determined and proud man sizing up his surroundings. He is agreeable , wants to be treated fairly, but he is not willing to be pushed around.
“By Blood” is about the relationship between African Americans and Native Americans in the west. Historically and even today, the relationship has been complicated. During the old west, some Blacks were slaves while others were accepted as members of tribes and married and had families within the tribe. There are also Black tribal members who were able to gain prominence in certain tribes. Though, today some tribes struggle with how to accept Blacks that have history within the tribe.
Specifically in this piece, I focus on acceptance. Hunting was a huge part of Native American culture where many members joined to make it successful. After hunting bison, the party would sometimes cool themselves with fresh bison blood before field dressing the animal. Blood is often seen as a familial bond and I find it fitting to show acceptance by sharing blood after a hunt. I feel this theme is particularly important with the current climate in our country. Acceptance and understanding ultimately unite us and can bring us together by our shared national blood.
Watching the movie “Lincoln” with Daniel Day Lewis, there is a scene where Lincoln’s son is viewing an image of a slave with keloids on his back from whipping. The image is of a man called “Whipped Peter” and the photo was widely distributed to bolster the cause of the abolishment of slavery. With the end of slavery, I thought I must feel particularly gratifying to have the fruits of your labor belong solely to yourself. The west had a good number Black cowboys and some were either born into slavery or were recently freed men. Scars of the horrible history of not realizing the profits of your labor are still present, but this man can now start his day as the sole profiteer of his own success.
As an art teacher in Jones, Oklahoma, I came across black students that were involved in rodeo while also enjoying the more urban and popular culture of Oklahoma City. This inspired me to explore the sudden stops and transitions we encounter in our lives and how we navigate culturally and physically everyday.
One of my first bronzes to explore the experience of African Americans in the West began with the study of the “Buffalo Soldiers”. These soldiers were found throughout the West of the United States and were important players in various conflicts. They were universally praised by both Native Americans and Whites for their qualities as soldiers. The name “Buffalo Soldiers” was given to them by Native Americans for the curly hair that resembled a bison’s curly fur.
Often, I approach a work and wonder what the emotional characteristics are embodied in that person and seek to capture that essence. To be a solid soldier, a person must be confident in their ability to complete a task. They must believe in their singular ability to successfully complete that task. The depicted Buffalo Soldier stands tall and strong with a vigilant glare. Wearing a buffalo hide, he stands confidently with the full belief that he is the only one to get the job done.
Across the country there are urban riding clubs. Notably there’s the Compton Cowboys in California and Fletcher Street Urban Riding Club in Philadelphia, PA. These groups function as a way to inspire a positive influence on kids through riding. This sculpture features a black adolescent walking across the street with his saddle. View Reed’s work at laquincey.com.
This article was originally written for the Spring 2022 Issue of Modern Cowboy Magazine. (Previously known as Cowboy Lifestyle Magazine). Catch more stories from this issue below!
