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Memphis born artist Anthony D. Lee has been creatively influenced by the city's culinary and musical atmosphere and the years following the Civil Rights Movement. These are the contributing factors to the artist’s early development. He also lived on the island of St. Croix, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, in which the vibrancy of life and color in that environment are now attributes to his visual work. More importantly, he is a product of the artistic machine created and run by Bill Hicks during the 1990s. Hicks, who is also a professional artist and mentor, has sharpened the skills of many mid-south artists such as Adam Shaw, Derrick Fordjour, Will Dixon, Kristen Myers, Benin Ford, Benedict Conley, Lester J. Merriweather, and Grier Edmundson. Upon graduation from Central High School, Lee forfeited an art scholarship to the University of Memphis to fulfill his sense of American citizenry by becoming a soldier. For over three years Lee was a paratrooper in the Army’s 82nd Airborne Division. His military duties notwithstanding, Lee’s artistic initiative never quelled. He continued utilizing his talents by creating numerous murals and personal requests such as portraits, designs, and even tattoos. While in service he developed a new passion for the land and its features. Exiting the Army and compelled to have a career in art, he attended North Carolina State University in pursuit of becoming a landscape architect. The abrupt transition from the regimented Army Sergeant to indolent college student severely inhibited Lee’s creativity. He decided to forge forward as a self taught artist. With his artistic intuition awakened, Lee began to paint again as a new entrepreneurial spirit was ignited. He began to immerse himself in his art. This new confidence inspired Lee to become a full-time artist. “These works are emotional vignettes of the living experience past and present. Different topics are explored using colorful symbolism and placement to narrate each work. I didn't intend for the viewer to be able to decipher the writing used in the composition. I simply wanted to use the image of script to say to the viewer, "Hey, there's a real story here. Look closer and let your mind develop its plot."
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