Juie Rattley III
Juie Rattley III, Blue, 2015, oil on canvas, 24 x 20 inches
Juie Rattley’s self-portrait is perhaps the most expressively raw portrait on view in Greensboro Portraits. It is one of over thirty self-portraits the artist painted between 2007-2015, following the death of his close childhood friend Curtis DeAngelo "DD" Lennon. In 2013, the series was presented at the Hickory Art Museum in the artist’s solo exhibition Chaos and Control. Crying men are not a common subject in portrait painting, with emotional vulnerability explored more frequently in film and theater. The artist states: "I show various expressions of anger, resignation, and sadness. ... Since painting has always been therapeutic for me, I felt the only way to address his death was to incorporate it into the visual language of art. I have always felt that if I created paintings about my life, I would stay true to myself as a painter and would always have something to paint about.”
Over the course of the series, the paintings took on an archival as well as healing function: “I view my work as a tool to create a visual document to freeze time, meaning that when I am caught in the moment of painting, I use my hands and my paint as a record of my life.”
Rattley notes that he was surprised to see from the chronological installation of the self-portrait series how he selected increasingly brighter colors, as the works progressed in time. Blue holds the brilliant end of this spectrum with its range of deep reds, pinks and blues laid down in broad strokes revealing the underlying canvas. Also notable in Rattley’s painting is the structure and assurance with which he portrays himself, at close range. Some surfaces are painted very flatly. Others such as the bridge of the nose, in which each stroke is defined by a ridge of impasto, emphasize the painter’s hand and use of bold contrasting color combinations. The foreshortening of the head, seen from slightly below and turned to the side, organizes the entire painting on a diagonal axis. This evokes Baroque painting, which emphasized a new approach to the spectator, inviting the viewer to participate in the transformational experiences portrayed. Here, the act of crying becomes associated with the act of painting, as color and brushstroke direct our gaze, and we cannot look away.
Rattley’s image of a young African American man in tears (painted in blue pigment whose color is also the title of the work) is particularly resonant at a moment of national mourning. Although his self-portrait is intensely private, the empathetic connection these paintings found with viewers and collectors attests to the artist's ability to enlist the viewer in a response whether or not he or she is aware of the artist’s personal history. On his personal story of the loss of a friend to gun violence, Rattley states: “I feel it is my job to use visual language to enlighten people about the effects of gun violence. I believe with this body of work, I will make a change locally and internationally on this issue. I feel that the more we educate the world about gun violence, the more crime rates will drop."
Juie Rattley III, Rude Awakening, 2011, oil on canvas, 32 x 40 inches
Artist Bio
Born in Lumberton in southeastern North Carolina, Juie Rattley III was educated at Southeastern Community College, UNC-Pembroke, and UNC-Greensboro, where he earned a Masters in Fine Arts and was awarded the Adelaide Fortune Holderness Fellowship and the inaugural Maud Gatewood Painting Scholarship. As an undergraduate. Rattley participated in Guilford County’s “Artist in the Schools” outreach programs. He teaches at Guilford Technical Community College, and his paintings figure in local and national collections.
Collector's Conversation
Susan and Bill Veazey discuss works by Juie Rattley III in their collection. The Veazeys acquired this self-portrait in GreenHill's 2010 Winter Show.
Juie Rattley III, CDL, 2008, oil on canvas, 16 x 12 inches
EC: What attracted you to this painting in Winter Show?
SV: Bill and I were attracted to the technique used by Juie in this self-portrait. It is bold and colorful, yet slightly somber and dark. When we met Juie at the Winter Show and he told us his personal story of becoming an artist/painter, getting his Masters at UNCG, and teaching art in Forsyth County, we then especially wanted to support a local artist. He puts so much thought into his art subjects. We find that very appealing about his paintings.
EC: Has your feeling about this work changed over time?
SV: We have displayed this painting in two different homes here in town. At first, it was in a foyer hallway, friends and visitors would see it and ask about his story, not even knowing it was the artist’s self-portrait. We liked being able to share what we know about Juie. (We have visited him at his home/studio in Winston Salem.)
Also, our feelings have most definitely changed recently with the Black Lives Matter movement. We are drawn to the three Juie Rattley paintings we own. All three paintings have Black people as subjects. We feel that they are true reflections of Black lives here in NC, and that is very appealing to us. We want to be thoughtful about supporting Black artists.
EC: What do original artworks add to one’s home environment?
SV: Bill and I have always felt that artwork adds “personality” to an environment. Visitors can learn a little bit about us and our family when they see the art in our home. We are drawn to original art and believe strongly in supporting all forms of art. We are fortunate we are able to do so, and we learn and gain so much from the art that we own.