Hank Willis Thomas

"Hank Willis Thomas is a conceptual artist living and working in New York City. His work focuses on themes related to perspective identity, commodity, media, and popular culture. He often incorporates recognizable icons into his work, many from well-known advertising and branding campaigns. On advertising, in an interview with Time, Thomas said, 'Part of advertising’s success is based on its ability to reinforce generalizations developed around race, gender and ethnicity which are generally false, but [these generalizations] can sometimes be entertaining, sometimes true, and sometimes horrifying.' After the senseless robbery and murder of his cousin, Songha Willis Thomas in 2000, Hank became known for B®anded, a series of photographs, and Unbranded: Reflections in Black by Corporate America 1968-2008, a body of work created from appropriating advertising images. He was thinking about the root of black-on-black violence in the US. ..."
Jack Shainman (Video)
Hank Willis Thomas (Video)
W - Hank Willis Thomas
Hank Willis Thomas | BRANDING USA
YouTube: "Am I Going Too Fast?" a short film by Hank Willis Thomas and Christopher Myers, Hank Willis Thomas: Artists Should Work in Society's Subconscious, Hank Willis Thomas on Race