A Vivid Vision • 6oldie the Artist
by Ryan P. Cruz
Marcus Addison, known through his work as 6oldie the Artist (pronounced ‘gold-ee'), speaks fluent popular culture. He speaks black culture, music culture, film, TV and sports culture, and in a few short years, his bold and socially conscious artwork has evolved into a way of communicating through the language of pop culture on the Black experience in America.
“I think it was just who I am as a person,” he says, sitting at a table in a sunny courtyard in Santa Barbara. Originally from Montgomery, Alabama, then Birmingham, he speaks in an easy Southern drawl, his eyes deeply intent and his words chosen carefully. As we talk, there's a recurring theme of light within dark, how the two are interconnected, and how he hopes to use creativity to be a light into a dark world.
“Whether I was doing art, or not, I wanted to be light within darkness. I wanted to add to my environment, I wanted to change the narrative,” he said.
He often portrays iconic figures – from civil rights leaders like Malcom X, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks, to sports and music superstars like Michael Jordan, Pele and Kanye West — and drops references like easter eggs for hip-hop heads and those “in the know.” Many of the techniques and symbols he recreates are pulled directly from the artists he admires most, like Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, with 6oldie reworking and incorporating well-known images like a master producer chops a sample to give a fresh take on an old classic.
One of those symbols is the golden crown, which 6oldie places over the heads of these icons, indicating their place in the lineage of Black American royalty.
“The crown is paying homage to Basquiat, as well as being a representation of these people who are painted as being kings in their field of work, or in today's world.” he said. “If you look at Black popular culture, these are kings, and these are the figures that everybody looks to. I think it was fitting that you see that.”
In Alabama, 6oldie found himself in an area with deep cultural roots to the civil rights movement. Dr. King wrote his letter from a Birmingham jail, and Montgomery was where the thousands who marched from Selma were headed before clashing with law enforcement on Bloody Sunday.
“It's not like reading it in the book, and then you'd be like, ‘Okay, I wonder what that place is,’” he said, “it’s like, reading it in a book and going right down the street, and that place is where they marched.”
He recently made the move from Alabama to California, “looking to expand as an artist,” and eventually settled in Los Angeles. The move was a culture shock, but he quickly got to work, lit on fire by the inspiration that came from being immersed in the pop culture center of the universe.
On the west coast, he found himself meeting new artists, and eventually found a home for hiswork in gallery spaces. On a trip to Santa Barbara, he stumbled upon Melanin Gallery, a temporary space hosted by Healing Justice SB and The Arts Fund to feature the work of Black artists — and before long, he was showing some of his own work in the space.
6oldie’s early grayscale work was his first foray into realism, but soon he started his next evolution, 50 Shades of 6oldie. This produced a vibrant series of colorblocked portraits, ranging from Biggie and Tupac to the famous “boxing Basquiat” photograph, all rendered in a new and striking color palette.
Another recurring symbol began popping up as 6oldie progressed into his next series of mixed media paintings on photo prints: lightbulbs. Drawn in a similar handstyle as the crowns, the lightbulbs became a way to portray enlightenment, energy, and power.
“It's kind of like creating symbolism for myself that can last the test of time,” he said. “So I’m just trying to create something that has longevity, as well as something that separates me from other artists.”
On the West Coast, immersed in a hub of popular culture and art in Los Angeles, he began progressing quickly. After the Melanin Gallery, he announced A Vivid Vision at Santa Barbara’s City Hall Gallery, curated by Arturo Heredia Soto. The exhibit served to display the artistic evolution of 6oldie, from his linework series to 50 Shades of 6oldie, to his newest series of pastel-colored “faceless” figures, intended to be a blank slate the viewer could insert themselves into.
“My new series is more focused on not limiting it to a certain race, so with the faceless, it’s to let people see themselves there,” he said.
Even his linework pieces, with black outlines and just a pop of red, highlight the connection that we all share in our daily struggles. Store Run shows a moment of joy in the midst of chaos, as two lightbulb-headed friends make a run for supplies during the early days of quarantine. “I created this piece at the beginning of the pandemic,” he said. “We were on lockdown. The one thing that was a concern for most was making sure there was food and supplies in the grocery stores.”
Most recently, 6oldie collaborated with Hibbett City Gear and The World Games, returning to Birmingham to paint a mural for the summer games. He’s also continuing his evolution, working with small businesses for logo design, and testing out some clothing design for a label in the works called “Nothing Impossible, Anything Possible.” His signature lightbulbs are emblazoned on everything from denim jackets to hand-painted Air Force Ones, and he’s incorporating the symbol in a growing series called “Lightwork.”
It’s his latest evolution on a journey to change the narrative and inspire younger artists of color, but 6oldie stays humble and thankful for where he is, especially remembering where he came from. “I come from humble beginnings,'' he said. “Just to have come from that environment and to be here, I think I already reached success.”
Cover image: 6oldie, Golden Child, watercolor
